AMBULANCE chiefs have vowed to provide more emergency vehicles in the New Forest following a spate of complaints about response times.

Critics claim that crews have taken too long to reach seriously ill patients, some of whom were in great pain.

In the latest incident it was almost an hour before paramedics arrived at the scene of an accident involving a car and a motorcyclist.

The 45-year-old biker suffered a broken wrist in the crash, which happened in Manor Road, New Milton.

Earlier this year it took an ambulance 45 minutes to reach footballer Ben Launder, who broke his leg in five places during a match at Fawcetts Field, New Milton.

A few weeks later Lymington pensioner Nancy Miles broke her hip in a fall and subsequently died following a two-hour wait for paramedics.

A South Central Ambulance Trust spokesman said the organisation was planning to acquire an extra ambulance and also aimed to introduce a rapid response unit.

Commenting on the incident involving the motorcyclist, she said it had been classed as serious but not life-threatening.

She added: “We apologise that it took longer than we’d have liked to reach the gentleman. However, at the time the service was experiencing high demand.

“The nearest available ambulance was sent to the scene as soon as it became available.”