MAN says NHS Wales is "worse than a healthcare system in a third world country" after waiting 32 hours for an ambulance to show up for his 85-year-old mother.

Tony Taylor, 58, from Cwmbran, called an ambulance on Thursday, October 17 for his elderly mother who was 'seriously unwell' and then had to stay awake for two days waiting for it to come.

"I called at 8pm on October 17 and waited exactly 32 hours for the ambulance service to come attend to my 85-year-old mother," he said.

"I hate phoning for an ambulance, but that is what the GP advised for me to do.

"Initially they told me it would be an eight-hour wait, but they called me every six or seven hours apologising for delays.

"I wish I could take her myself but I am disabled so the ambulance is my only lifeline for my wheel-chair using mum.

Tony said he was "so anxious" while waiting for the ambulance, and that he did not sleep or relax for three days as a result of the ordeal.

"When the ambulance crew got here, they told me the wait was normal with the state of NHS Wales today, and acted as if it was something they are used to, like it was nothing.

"It is just appalling. I can't even get my mother a GP appointment for two weeks. We have got more chance of seeing the King than the doctor these days.

"But it is not the ambulance crews, the nurses or the doctors at fault - it's the system."

Tony's mum, left, and Tony Taylor, 58, right. (Image: NQ) Tony described how he had lived in Thailand for part of his life and an ambulance there took less than one hour to arrive.

He asked while comparing the UK to Thailand: "How can we be worse than a third world country?"

According to Tony, you used to only ever call an ambulance for emergencies, like a heart attack or a stroke, because you could call your doctor to do a home visit in most other situations.

A warning has been issued about healthcare service in Wales with services facing sustained pressure and patients experiencing delays.

An annual report from the Healthcare Inspectorate Wales was published on Thursday, October 16, detailing the "sustained pressure" the NHS is under.

Liam Williams, Director of Quality and Nursing, said: “We are deeply sorry to hear about Mrs Taylor’s experience.

“We know this will have been a distressing wait for all involved and is certainly not the service we wish to provide to any of our patients.

“We are committed to delivering high quality care and are working as an organisation and with partners to actively explore solutions to help alleviate pressures.

“We would invite Mrs Taylor or a representative to contact our putting things right team directly so that we can investigate appropriately.”