A woman from Portadown waited over six hours for an ambulance after being struck by a car while crossing a road on her mobility scooter in Lurgan on Monday October 12.

The collision occurred at Flush Place in the Avenue Road area around 4:40pm. Police received a report at approximately 4:50pm and arrived shortly before 5pm. Officers provided basic first aid while the woman lay injured on the road.

An off-duty paramedic and an off-duty nurse stopped to assist, along with a doctor who was present. They remained with the woman until an ambulance arrived from Newry at 10:56pm. The woman was then taken to Craigavon Area Hospital with what were described as minor injuries.

Councillor Peter Haire, who represents the area on Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council, attended the scene after being contacted by a constituent. He visited the woman in hospital the next day and said she had sustained only minor injuries. He thanked the off-duty paramedic, nurse, doctor, and police for their assistance.

Councillor Haire wrote to the Health Minister to raise concerns about the delay, noting that a similar incident in Craigavon in July involved a four-hour wait. He said residents deserve timely emergency medical assistance and that such lengthy delays must be examined.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service apologised to the patient for the delay, describing it as unacceptable. A spokesperson said the call was received at 4:47pm and the first available and appropriate emergency crew arrived at 10:48pm. The service said the time for an emergency crew to arrive was unacceptable and offered an apology without qualification.

The ambulance service explained that demand for its services exceeds capacity, and calls are prioritised based on clinical need. It has asked the public to consider alternatives to 999 when appropriate and to avoid making follow-up calls to check on ambulance arrival times.

Last week, another councillor, Paul Berry, was involved in a three-vehicle crash on the Markethill Road in Tandragee, where victims waited two and four hours for ambulances. He called for health services to be prioritised.