‘I waited over 20 minutes for my 999 call to even be answered!’ Lucy Mecklenburgh claims she’s been refused ambulances when her young children have needed A&E attention
Lucy Mecklenburgh has claimed she’s been refused an ambulance on some occasions when her young children have needed to go to A&E.
The former TOWIE star, 31, took to her Instagram Story on Monday to reveal she was once even forced to wait 20 minutes before speaking to a 999 handler.
Her son, Roman, two, who she shares with her fiance Ryan Thomas, 38, has been hospitalised multiple times with viruses and fluid in his lungs, while their daughter Lilah, four months, needed medical care recently with bronchiolitis.
‘I waited over 20 minutes for my 999 call to even be answered!’ Lucy Mecklenburgh has claimed she’s been refused ambulances when her young children have needed A&E attention (pictured in July 2022)
Following a Good Morning Britain report about increased ambulance waiting times, Lucy wrote on the social media platform: ‘Unfortunately I have had to call for ambulances many times for my children.
‘On one occasion I have waited over 20mins for my 999 call to even be answered and have also been told there’s no ambulances available please can you drive your baby to hospital which is impossible with a small child struggling to breathe.
‘Enough is enough!!!!!!! Something has to be done! This breaks my heart.’
She later added: ‘I’ve had lots of sad messages of story’s [sic] waiting for ambulances.
Oh dear: Her son, Roman, two, who she shares with her fiance Ryan Thomas, 38, has been hospitalised multiple times with viruses and fluid in his lungs
‘I think we are all aware the NHS is very stretched at the moment, understaffed & underfunded and it must be awful being the person to tell a parent/person in need that there’s [sic] no ambulances available.
‘Lots of people have messaged to tell me that a huge problem is people calling 999 unnecessarily. Rather than 111, your GP or driving to a&e yourself (when possible).
‘Thanks for all your kind messages. Lastly I’d like to thank all the lovely, hardworking NHS staff that have helped my baby’s over the last 2 years.
‘Now I’m coming off here and enjoying Halloween with my kids Xx.’
Scary: Ryan and Lucy’s daughter Lilah, four months, suffered a health scare of her own when she was rushed to hospital and put on oxygen after becoming ‘really poorly’ with bronchiolitis (pictured with Ryan’s daughter Scarlett from a previous relationship)
Lucy and Ryan’s son Roman was hospitalised earlier this month during a family break in Carlisle.
Actor Ryan shared a photo of his toddler in an A&E cot, telling his Instagram followers that they had ‘unfortunately been in this situation many times before’.
Last month Lucy was in hospital with the couple’s eldest child as he battled a virus.
The Coronation Street star shared a black and white photo of Roman resting in his hospital cot on Sunday evening, writing: ‘Me and my little man have unfortunately been in this situation many times before.
‘But this weekend we spent 24 hours in hospital away from home – but wanted to say a massive thank you to all the doctors and nurses at The Cumberland Infirmary for the hard work and dedication in making sure we get the best care possible.
‘Me and my boy are home safe because of you. We are truly grateful.’
Ryan, Lucy and their children were enjoying a weekend away at their friends’ Cumbrian house, when Roman was rushed to A&E, with Lucy documenting the weekend on her Instagram account.
Last month Lucy rushed Roman to hospital, revealing he was battling a virus – almost a year to the day that he was discovered ‘blue in his cot’.
The reality star previously told how her little boy spent a week in intensive care last September and put on a ventilator describing it as ‘every parents worst nightmare.’
Poorly: Lucy and Ryan’s son Roman was hospitalised earlier this month during a family break in Carlisle
The TV favourite revealed that Roman is back in hospital but reassured fans the two-year-old is on the mend and just needed ‘some help’ to fight off the sickness.
The mother-of-two took Roman to get urgent medical treatment once again after picking up an infection in preschool.
Taking to her Instagram Story, the influencer shared a snap of the toddler in a hospital ward with the cubicle curtains drawn.
Captioning the snap she pondered: ‘Meant to be on a beach. Whyyy did I send Roman to preschool this week?’
She then went on to reassure fans that Roman was on the mend and explained: ‘He’s fine he just sometimes needs some help fighting viruses. Nebuliser, oxygen, steroids, antibiotics. Bless him, wish I’d kept him off preschool and got him to the sunshine sooner.’
Last year, Roman spent nearly a week in intensive care and was diagnosed with a ‘viral induced wheeze’.
Lucy wrote at the time: ‘As some of you may have noticed we haven’t been on social media lately. Just over a week ago I found Roman blue in his cot – probably every parent’s worst nightmare.
‘Without going into two much detail it ended up with Roman being transferred to St Mary’s London intensive care being put on a ventilator. Thankfully we are now all home and Roman is back to his cheeky self.’
Lucy said the experience has made her want to get involved with charities for sick children and the hospital where Roman was taken.
Lucy is also mother to daughter Lilah, who suffered a health scare of her own last month when she was rushed to hospital and put on oxygen after becoming ‘really poorly’ with bronchiolitis.
Lilah contracted bronchiolitis from Roman, who picked the condition up at pre-school, and suffered from ‘coughing and choking’ before being rushed to hospital.
Scare: Last year Roman spent nearly a week in intensive care and was diagnosed with a ‘viral induced wheeze’ (Ryan pictured in hospital with Roman in September 2021)
Source: Read Full Article