I READ with some concern this article in the Ledbury Reporter about the 999 wait this person had to endure.

While there were reasons for the delay, what has really worried me is the report that the local care hospital staff Shaw Trust could not lend a hand to the poor person suffering while the ambulance arrived – something about a qualified person not being on duty.

Can this be really true that qualified medical or nursing staff in close proximity were prevented by some bit of local red tape from not attending a person in dire life threatening need of medical assistance.

So does that mean that ordinary citizens who may want to help a person in distress in the street must simply walk on by because we aren’t qualified?

I really think something needs to be looked into here.

I would hate to be lying in the road in urgent need of possible life-saving medical help while an ambulance arrived simply because another bit of red tape or another tick in the box was missing and prevented a qualified person nurse doctor from turning out.

I realise you can’t have people leaving their duties in hospital to run to the assistance of everyone who falls down but when the need is urgent there has to be some leeway surely for people to act.

BARRY WATSON

Bartestree