83-Year-Old Heart Patient Denied Ambulance Over Car Ownership — SkimNews
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- Charles Swift drove himself 70 miles round-trip to Withybush Hospital for heart tests after the Welsh Ambulance Services Trust refused transport when he disclosed he owned a car, despite being 83 and recovering from multiple health conditions.
- Welsh Ambulance Services Trust (WAST) said it cannot meet rising demand for non-emergency transport and has had to cancel journeys, though it has since updated call-handling processes after reviewing Swift’s case.
- Hywel Dda University Health Board states patients are generally expected to arrange their own transport unless they meet strict eligibility criteria, such as needing oxygen or dialysis.
- Dolen Teifi, a community transport charity, reported a surge in last-minute cancellations of ambulance transport, fielding 145 calls over two months and filling the gap in about a third of cases.
- Councillor Hugh Hughes said patients in rural Ceredigion are 'falling through the net' as hospital services shift further away and transport fails to keep pace.
Why it matters: Older and rural patients in Wales face growing barriers to accessing care as demand for non-emergency transport outstrips supply, with one charity stepping in to cover 145 cancelled trips in two months—highlighting a systemic gap that risks missed appointments and patient exhaustion.
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