- Bryan Bartlett slipped while getting out of the bath at the Premier Inn Weymouth
A grandfather who slipped and broke his neck in a Premier Inn toilet was forced to wait almost 10 hours for an ambulance to arrive.
Bryan Bartlett, 74, had to endure “excruciating pain” after slipping while getting out of the bathtub he was standing in to take a shower.
His wife Doreen, 80, asked reception staff to call 999 immediately, but the call handler said no ambulance was available.
An ambulance finally arrived at the Premier Inn in Weymouth, Dorset, at 4am, almost 10 hours after the fall, which happened around 6pm.
Mr Bartlett’s son Daniel said his father, originally from Southampton, Hampshire, was in Weymouth visiting friends and got out of the bath on the way out.
Bryan Bartlett, 74, had to endure “excruciating pain” after slipping while getting out of the bathtub he was standing in to take a shower.
His wife Doreen (pictured together), 80, asked reception staff to call 999 immediately, but the call handler said no ambulance was available.
Daniel, 42, said: “The pain he felt was excruciating.
“Mom was helping her, but as she is disabled, Dad was trying with all his might to get out of the bath.
“He said his head felt like it was going to fall off, so he held it.”
After learning there were no ambulances, Mr Bartlett was forced to wait. At around 3am Ms 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 hospital to be with his mother who is suffering from angina – severe chest pain which can spread to the arms and back – and is relying on her husband to take care of her.
He said: “The doctor said it could have been fatal and he was a very lucky man. He could have ended up paralyzed or even died.
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 end of the shower to minimize the risk of slipping.
An ambulance finally arrived at the Premier Inn in Weymouth, Dorset, at 4am, almost 10 hours after the fall, which happened around 6pm (file image)
“We also provide bath mats on request should guests require one during their stay, which can be requested from reception upon arrival or at any time of the day or night.
“Our team worked with the guest after being informed of the incident and we all wish him a speedy recovery and the best.”
A spokesperson for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “We are sorry we were unable to provide Mr Bartlett with a timely response and we wish him well in his recovery.
“Our ambulance clinicians strive every day to give their best to patients, but during the hot spell in early September we saw demand on our service increase to levels we had not previously experienced since the beginning of 2023.
“Our partners in the NHS and social care have also seen an increase in demand during this period. We all work hard to improve the service patients receive.