A PENSIONER was left on the ground waiting for an ambulance for three hours.

Members of the public were horrified to see the woman lying outside the Empire Cinema in Greenbridge on Monday evening, desperately waiting for paramedics to attend.

She was helped by passers-by who placed a pillow beneath her head and blankets over her to keep her warm.

An umbrella was even propped up to shield her face from the wind.

One cinema-goer, Graham Ireland, was shocked to see someone having to wait so long for an ambulance to arrive.

He said: “We turned up at 4.40pm to see a film and she was on floor then.

“An ambulance had been called, and cinema staff were with her.

“We watched the film, and she was still there at 7pm.Three hours — I just can’t believe it.”

South West Ambulance Service confirmed they had received a call at 3.51pm on Monday and, due to the nature of the incident – described as a “leg injury” – it was not classed as an emergency.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “The incident was triaged as a category 3 incident which means not immediately life-threatening.

“Further 999 calls were made and the patient was reported to be conscious and breathing throughout.

“An ambulance arrived on scene at 6.51pm and the patient was taken to the Great Western Hospital.”

Explaining why the woman had had to wait three hours for medical attention, the ambulance service spokesman said: “At the time of this incident it was extremely busy in Swindon with more than 20 serious life-threatening incidents including a patient having a stroke, possible sepsis, a diabetic emergency and a patient with chest pains.

“With the challenges of investment in the ambulance service, a finite number of ambulances available and growing public demand we must prioritise category 1 time critical, life threatening emergencies.”

The woman’s condition is not known, but it is not believed to be serious.