A SERIOUSLY injured policeman had to be rushed to hospital in a fire truck because no ambulance was available.

A special equipment unit (SEU) was transformed into the makeshift ambulance because the patient, an on duty police motorcyclist, needed urgent medical treatment following a crash in Southampton.

It was the second time in just a matter of hours on Friday that an ambulance was not able to respond to an emergency in the city after a pensioner was left on the ground for 70 minutes after slipping and suffering a suspected broken leg.

The officer, in his 50s, had been involved in a collision with a Volkswagen Golf close to Southampton train station and suffered serious leg and arm injuries.

A paramedic arrived at the scene in Mountbatten Way within minutes followed by a doctor who gave first aid with the help of firefighters from St Mary’s station – but there was no ambulance available to get him to hospital.

Deciding he couldn’t afford to wait the doctor instead commandeered the SEU – used to carry heavy lifting and cutting gear – to take him to Southampton General Hospital.

The Daily Echo revealed how on the same day an 85-year-old woman was left waiting on the roadside for 70 minutes for an ambulance – despite six 999 calls - after slipping on an icy pavement.

Passers-by came to her aid until paramedics arrived.

South Central Ambulance Service confirmed their ambulances were occupied on Friday evening following 999 calls in the area that afternoon.

A spokesman said: “The busiest time of day for ambulance activity was between 4pm and 5pm, subsequently this meant that when this incident came in, our resources were already committed to emergency calls in the area. We are pleased that an ambulance paramedic and BASICS doctor were on scene shortly after the emergency call and were able to begin the patient’s treatment.

‘Positive decision’ “It was a positive decision by the doctor to utilise the available transport at the scene in order to transport the patient to hospital as quickly as possible so that he was able to commence emergency treatment.”

However, they refused to divulge the nature of the calls or what the delays had been in freeing up vehicles.

A spokesman for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was “more than happy to help any emergency service in any way it could” however it did not want to make a habit of using its fire trucks as ambulances.

He said: “The doctor made the decision. They needed to get the causalty to hospital sooner rather than later. The SEU was used which has an internal compartment.

“The doctor could ride on it quite safely with the causalty on a stretcher. He said he would take responsibility for the decision.”

n Daily Echo Comment – see page 12