Great-granddad, 85, had to wait over two hours for an ambulance - despite him being found in a pool of blood

The family of a great-grandfather has been left “shocked and upset” after he was found lying in a pool of blood while waiting two-and-half-hours for an ambulance.

Charles Hall, 85, was found after a suspected fall at his house, by daughter, Joanne and husband John on October 4.

The family, who realised the former police officer needed urgent medical assistance, kicked down the door and called the ambulance service.

Son-in-law, John, 56, who is first aid trained, tended to Charles while he was falling in and out of consciousness on the floor.

The family, who said the scene at Charles’ house “looked like a crime scene”, thought that he probably had a fall in his kitchen and tried to reach the telephone near his front door.

As the family tended to widow Charles, they had to wait two-and-a-half hours for the East Midlands Ambulance Service to arrive at the address in Hinckley, Leicestershire.

Sadly, father-of-two Charles died the following day at Leicester Infirmary - with his cause of death being kidney failure due to a fall, which eventually led to a cardiac arrest.

‘It was utter carnage’

Son-in-law, John, who attended the scene, said: "My wife rang me at around 5.30pm to tell me that her dad was on the floor, and that she couldn’t get in the door.

"My brother and sister-in-law arrived and kicked down the door - and there he was, on the floor covered in blood.

"We, as a family, are still trying to piece together exactly what happened. It was utter carnage - the kitchen table had been shoved out the way, one slipper in one corner of the room.

"We think he may have had a fall in the kitchen and tried to make it to the telephone stand and couldn’t. That’s where we found him.

"He was in a right old state, bless him. It wasn’t dignified at all.

"We rang the ambulance at the time, then they told us they can’t come for another two-and-a-half hours.

"I’m a qualified first aider, so after an hour of waiting, I had to tend to him myself.

"I did all the usual checks and made sure he could move his fingers and legs, I helped put him in the recovery position - very responsive, we had a chat.

"But over the two-and-a-half hours, I rang the ambulance and said he was having trouble breathing and was in and out of consciousness.

"They still said then, the ambulance will be another hour. I was thinking they cannot do this.

"When they arrived at around 8pm, they said to us ‘this is a priority’.

"Perhaps some advice as to try and make my dad more comfortable may have been helpful, but nothing. They were lovely lads; it wasn’t their fault.

"He had kidney failure because of the toxins in his body - probably because of the amount of time he was lying on the floor, and then the cardiac arrest.

"He was a lovely man, a police officer for 40 years, always building things in the back garden - a right character.

"He was grandfather, great-grandchildren, and father-of-two and married to Eunice, who died years ago. They were married for over 40 years.

"For it to end like this is very upsetting."

Ambulance service offers ‘deepest condolences’

Richard Lyne, divisional director of EMAS, said: “I would like to offer my deepest condolences to Mr Hall’s family, all of whom we understand have faced a deeply difficult time.

“Patient care and safety is always our priority and I am sorry that on this occasion the service provided to Mr Hall was not to the standard he rightly expected.

“At the time of Mr Hall’s call there was continued high demand on EMAS and the wider NHS system, and we were responding to a number of people whose life was reported to be at immediate risk.

“We are currently in contact with Mr Hall’s family through our Patient Advice and Liaison Service and are fully investigating the reason for this delay.”

The family has now lodged a complaint with East Midlands Ambulance Service and the investigation could take up to 60 days.

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