"Long wait for an emergency ambulance"

In mid August 2005 on a weekday morning I developed severe right side pain in my abdomen in Chester city centre - and collapsed in the street at 11.30am. A passer by telephoned the Ambulance Service and stayed with me until my 15 year old son arrived.

Despite four further telephone calls by my son it wasn't until he mentioned that I was having breathing difficulties that an ambulance car arrived at 1.00pm. - this was despite my having been in constant severe abdominal pain and unable to get up. The ambulance driver gave me the distinct impression that I was inconveniencing him - even asked me why I couldn't have gone to my GP and spent some time completing paperwork before reluctantly transporting me to the Countess of Chester A&E where he again delayed proceedings by completing yet more paperwork.

I was subsequently found to have been passing a kidney stone which necessitated a two night stay in hospital.

I have yet to receive a response to my emails to the Ambulance Service as to why I was left for one and a half hours in a busy city centre with severe, incapacitating abdominal pain despite constant calls for help.