A WOMAN who suffered a stroke while having a meal in a Cardiff restaurant had to wait three hours for an ambulance - despite a retired paramedic being at the scene.

Jane Oakley, from Undy, was out for a meal with her son at the Ivy in Cardiff on Thursday, May 19, when she began to feel unwell.

Her husband, Nick - a retired commander in the Royal Navy, said that the left side of her face began to droop.

"Her left side became weak, giving way as she collapsed and became unconscious," he explained.

Thankfully, also dining in the restaurant at the same time was a retired paramedic, who instructed a member of staff to phone for an ambulance and tell them there was a woman who was having a stroke who required immediate assistance.

Speed is critical in dealing with a suspected stroke, and a television advertising campaign which will be familiar to many outlines the acronym F.A.S.T - Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time to call emergency services - all elements crucial when someone suffers a stroke.

However, Mrs Oakley's son was informed that the earliest an ambulance could be there was in three hours' time.

Believing that the message had not been relayed correctly, he rang 999 again, to receive the same message.

"My wife who by now had regained consciousness, with kind assistance from the restaurant staff, was put into a taxi and transported to the A&E Department Cardiff," Mr Oakley said.

"Several ambulances could be seen sitting outside waiting to offload patients.

"She spent approximately 14 hours in A&E before being admitted to an acute stroke ward."

Mr Oakley questioned why money was being spent on the F.A.S.T. advertising campaign if the ambulance service and A&E departments were unable to keep up.

"In the 14 hours I spent in A&E with my wife, I witnessed staff struggling to cope with the needs of a variety of patients," he said.

"Isn't it time the government, supported by all parties, recognised that many parts of the NHS are broken and we stop papering over the cracks and conduct a major review?"

The Welsh Ambulance Service have said they are "deeply sorry about Mrs Oakley’s experience and know how distressing this will have been for her, her son and those who came to her aid".

Sonia Thompson, WAS assistant director of operations (emergency medical service), said: “The last two years have been immensely difficult for the NHS, and as we begin to emerge from the pandemic, we have been left as a system with some huge residual challenges.

“Among them are hospital handover delays, which remain a serious issue affecting our ability to get to patients as quickly, despite ongoing efforts.

“We are committed to working with partners to collectively resolve these complex and long-standing systemic issues so that we can deliver the ambulance service that people in Wales want and deserve.

“We would invite the Oakley family to contact our Putting Things Right team so that we can liaise with them directly about Mrs Oakley’s experience.”

The health board have also apologised to the family, citing similar issues with delays.

“Our focus remains on patient care and our staff are working tirelessly to see patients in a timely manner dependent on their healthcare needs," said a spokesperson.

"In this instance, we sincerely apologise for the delays experienced by Mrs Oakley in the emergency unit, and we would advise the family to contact our concerns department if they would like to discuss this further."