STAFF at the James Paget University Hospital have been criticised after an 88-year-old Great Yarmouth woman in chronic pain had to wait five hours for an ambulance lift home that never came.

STAFF at the James Paget University Hospital have been criticised after an 88-year-old Great Yarmouth woman in chronic pain had to wait five hours for an ambulance lift home that never came.

Nellie Jeal and her carer, Mike Ray, had to get a taxi home at 11am on Saturday when the promised lift did not turn up.

Mr Ray had gone with Mrs Jeal in an ambulance to the casualty (A&E) department of the Gorleston hospital at 5am that day after she had complained of being in pain. Doctors diagnosed a urinary infection and gave her antibiotics. But she then had to wait in her dressing gown in her wheelchair by the A&E department doors for an ambulance that was supp-osed to arrive by 9am.

Two hours later, Mr Ray decided to take matters into his own hands and booked a taxi.

He was particularly worried that she had been left by a door where there was a cold draught.

He then had to help her out of the taxi in driving snow and freezing winds and into her home when he believes he should have had help from ambulance staff. He also thinks she should at least have been kept in overnight.

“It seems because she was an OAP she was just chucked to one side, and it is disgusting.

“My neighbours were disgusted to see me having to help her back home through the hail and snow in her night-clothes,” Mr Ray said.

Since then, Mrs Jeal has been given a bed at Northgate Hospital, Great Yarmouth, where she is receiving treatment.

A spokeswoman for the hospital said she could not discuss individual patient cases, but added: “We are always sorry to hear that any patient has concerns about the treatment they have received at James Paget Hospital.

“In all of these cases we would encourage the patient involved to contact us directly so we can discuss their case in detail and, wherever appropriate, take further action as a result.”