An Aberystwyth family are calling on the Welsh Government to reintroduce ambulance response times for stroke patients, insisting that the “whole system needs changing”.

Mair Gore suffered a stroke in her home in Mountain Ash in February, but was left waiting two-and-a-half hours for an ambulance and five hours to be administered necessary drugs.

That has prompted Mrs Gore’s Aberystwyth-based family, including daughter-in-law Nia Gore, to call for the Welsh Government and Wales Ambulance Service Trust to bring back response targets to ensure stroke patients receive the best possible care.

Her mother-in-law has recovered following her stroke, but Nia said: “My mother-in-law was very lucky to be a strong determined lady who wanted to get back home and go back to being independent, which she has done.

“To think when she had the stroke, she couldn’t speak or move, only her toes and feet.

“We were told it would take two-and-a-half hours at least for an ambulance to go to the house, which is totally unacceptable.

“A first responder arrived but there was still an urgency to get her to a hospital.

“That time is vital because it could have been a totally different outcome.”

Under the new ambulance response system, strokes have been placed in the ‘amber’ category, with ‘red’ being considered the most serious incidents.

Since 2015, only ‘red’ calls have emergency response targets, something which Mrs Gore and her family have said should change.

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