AN 82-year-old woman who broke her pelvis in a fall during a demonstration against the closure of the Chorley A&E department was taken to Preston despite falling right outside the hospital.

Joan Carpenter, of Wheelton, who had major heart surgery in March, was at the demonstration against the temporary closure of the department with her family on Saturday, July 14.

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After the demonstration, she was walkingback down the hill from the hospital when she fell, breaking her pelvis in two places.

Mrs Carpenter, who is still recovering in hospital, received treatment from the fire service who were passing by before waiting 10 minutes for an ambulance which took her 15 miles to Royal Preston Hospital. But hospital bosses insist she would have been taken to there anyway because her injury was considered a major trauma.

Her son David Carpenter, 58, a lecturer, said: his mother was feeling well enough to join the demonstration despite not being out much following major heart surgery in March. “We could see the hospital from where she fell. We could have walked her on a stretcher in five minutes to Chorley.

“The fire service was going past and stopped to apply first aid and gave her some oxygen. It must have taken half an hour to get her to Preston and there were about five ambulances with patients waiting. The corridors were full with people and stretchers. It was like musical chairs.”

Mr Carpenter said she spent a couple of hours in a children’s bay because everywhere else was full. He said: “She was taken to the trauma unitin Preston, but put in the gynaecology unit the next day along with another lady who is in a similar situation.

“They are getting really well looked after, but it just seems a bit odd when they are fracture cases to be in that ward.It’s very busy there.The car park is heaving.”

“It seems absurd. The whole time I have lived here, which is nearly 30 years, Chorley has provided such a good service. Mr Carpenter, who has been involved with the campaign to reinstate the A&E service since it started, said his wife has been treated twice for breast cancer while they have “sewn me back together several times” including after he had a car crash and hurt his neck.It used to be such a good A&E service. They are just brilliant”

“She would be comfortable in Chorley and it means her friends would be able to go and see her more often.”

Passing on her best wishes to Mrs Carpenter, Karen Partington, chief executive at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said since 2013 major trauma patients have been treated at Preston after the service was reorganisedA fractured pelvis is considered to be a major trauma.

Mrs Partington said: “The emergency department at Chorley has been temporarily downgraded to an urgent care centre. which is open from 8am to 8pm and can treat a wide range of conditions such as minor chest and back injuries, burns and scalds and minor fractures. The majority of people who previously attended the emergency department at Chorley have conditions that can be treated safely and appropriately by an urgent care service.”