Man broke neck in Premier Inn bathroom – faced 10-hour ambulance wait

Grandfather, 74, who slipped and broke his neck in a Premier Inn bathroom was forced to wait in ‘excruciating pain’ for almost 10 hours until ambulance arrived

• Bryan Bartlett slipped while getting out of the bathtub at Premier Inn Weymouth 

A grandfather who slipped and broke his neck in a Premier Inn bathroom was forced to wait almost 10 hours for an ambulance to arrive.

Bryan Bartlett, 74, had to endure ‘excruciating pain’ after he slipped while getting out of the bath tub he’d been standing in to have a shower.

His wife Doreen, 80, had staff at reception call 999 immediately but the call handler said no ambulances were available.

An ambulance eventually arrived at the Premier Inn in Weymouth, Dorset, at 4am – nearly 10 hours after the fall, which happened at around 6pm.

Mr Bartlett’s son Daniel said his father, from Southampton, Hampshire, was in Weymouth visiting friends and went ‘flying out’ of the bathtub as he went to get out.

Bryan Bartlett, 74, had to endure ‘excruciating pain’ after he slipped while getting out of the bath tub he’d been standing in to have a shower

His wife Doreen (pictured together), 80, had staff at reception call 999 immediately but the call handler said no ambulances were available

Daniel, 42, said: ‘The pain he was in was excruciating.

‘Mum was helping him out but because she is disabled dad was trying with all his strength to get himself out of the bath.

‘He was saying his head felt like it was going to fall off, so he was holding it.’

After being told there were no ambulances, Mr Bartlett was forced to wait. Around 3am Mrs Bartlett called a second time and the ambulance arrived around 4am.

Mr Bartlett was taken to Dorset County Hospital in Dorchester where scans confirmed he had broken his neck. He was told he would need a neck brace for six months.

Daniel, who lives in Ferndown, Dorset, rushed to the hospital to be with his mum who suffers from angina – heavy pains in her chest which can spread to her arms and back – and relies on her husband to look after her.

He said: ‘The doctor said it could have been fatal and that he was a very lucky man. He could have ended up paralysed or even dead.’

There was no bath mat on the bathroom floor, the family claimed.

A Premier Inn spokesperson said: ‘Our hotel baths all have a non-slip coating, as well as a visible anti-slip area at the shower end to minimise the chances of slipping.

An ambulance eventually arrived at the Premier Inn in Weymouth, Dorset, at 4am – nearly 10 hours after the fall, which happened at around 6pm

‘We also make bath mats available on request should guests want one during their stay, which can be requested from reception on arrival or at any point day or night.

‘Our team worked with the guest after they were made aware of the incident and we all wish him a speedy recovery and the very best.’

A spokesperson for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: ‘We are sorry that we were unable to provide Mr Bartlett with a timely response and we would like to wish him well in his recovery.

‘Our ambulance clinicians strive every day to give their best to patients, but during the period of hot weather in early September, we saw the demand on our service increase to levels we have not experienced since early 2023.

‘Our partners in the NHS and social care also saw an increase in demand during this time. We are all working hard to improve the service that patients receive.’

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