A NURSE has criticised the ambulance service, claiming it took around one hour to reach a man aged in his 80s who had collapsed in the street.

Jackie Scott, a staff nurse for a private company in Manchester, stopped to help him in Bury on her way to work.

She says it took around an hour for paramedics to turn up, branding it “unacceptable”.

The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) has apologised, saying it arrived within 45 minutes and that life-threatening incidents have to be prioritised.

Mrs Scott, aged 64, who lives in Bury, was driving along Deal Street North on Monday afternoon, a short distance away from Fairfield General Hospital, when she saw an elderly man lying on the floor, with a young woman in attendance.

She stopped to help at around 4.45pm and was told an ambulance had been called at about 4.10pm.

Mrs Scott said: “I rang them again when I arrived and was told they were busy and we’d have to wait.

“He was in agony, I was so cross — I would have expected them there within 15 minutes, I don’t think an hour is acceptable. It was about ten past five when the ambulance came, which is diabolical and this issue needs highlighting. It was upsetting, I’m not sure how the man is and with the budget cuts I’m worried about the future.”

NWAS said records show it received the 999 call at 4.15pm and the ambulance arrived at 4.59pm.

A spokesperson said: “The trust appreciates that waiting for an ambulance can be a distressing experience and would like to apologise for the delay in attending this gentleman.

“Although we strive to attend to every patient as quickly as possible, life-threatening emergencies always take priority “Should the patient or his family wish to discuss this matter further, we would ask them to make contact with us.”

The man was taken to Fairfield General Hospital with a suspected broken hip.