A Dorset man was left waiting for 10 hours for an ambulance after breaking his neck in his hotel bathroom.
Bryan Bartlett, 74, from Southampton had been standing in his bath at the Premier Inn in Weymouth, when he slipped as he went to get out.
According to his family the incident occurred at 6pm and Bartlett’s wife Doreen immediately had staff at reception phone for an ambulance, but was told that none were currently available.
When after nine hours Bartlett was still left waiting for help to arrive, his wife phoned emergency services a second time at around 3am.
Scans confirmed Bartlett had suffered a broken neck and would need a neck brace for six months
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An ambulance arrived around an hour later and took Bartlett to Dorset County Hospital.
Bartlett’s son Daniel, from Ferndown in Dorset, described the grandfather’s "excruciating" pain as they hung on in hope of help.
“He was saying his head felt like it was going to fall off, so he was holding it,” he told the Telegraph.
Daniel also described his mother’s efforts to help the incapacitated Bartlett, despite suffering from angina herself, which leaves her reliant on her husband for help much of the time.
“Mum was helping him out but, because she is disabled, dad was trying with all his strength to get himself out of the bath.”
Scans confirmed Bartlett had suffered a broken neck and would need a neck brace for six months to recover.
In fact, doctors told the family that the 74-year-old was "very lucky" as the injury could have proved fatal.
A spokesman for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We are sorry that we were unable to provide Mr Bartlett with a timely response and we would like to wish him well in his recovery.”
South Western Ambulance Service apologised for the delay in response time
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“Our ambulance clinicians strive every day to give their best to patients, but during the period of hot weather in early September, we saw the demand on our service increase to levels we have not experienced since early 2023.”
Bartlett’s family also complained that there was no bath mat in the room, citing this as part of the reason for his fall.
In response, a Premier Inn spokesman defended the safety of their hotels, saying: “Our hotel baths all have a non-slip coating, as well as a visible anti-slip area at the shower end to minimise the chances of slipping.”
He added that bath mats could be provided to guests upon request at any time: “Our team worked with the guest after they were made aware of the incident and we all wish him a speedy recovery and the very best.”