AN elderly woman who had fallen outside a pharmacy waited two hours on the pavement before an ambulance arrived.

Three passers-by stopped to help an elderly women on the ground opposite Lloyds Pharmacy in West Avenue, Clacton at around 9am on Friday.

The passers-by were three woman who called for the first ambulance at 9.13am, before calling for one another two times.

A rapid response vehicle attended to the patient at around 11am, however witnesses said she was seen being carried into the ambulance at 12pm.

She was treated for a cut to the head and taken to Colchester General Hospital for further treatment.

Witness Bev Banham, of Straight Road, Colchester, said: “As I was getting out of the car this morning I saw a woman in a sitting position holding on to a rail and I saw a few women heading over the road to help her.”

Dominic Parsons, of Burrs Road, Clacton had visited the town centre for shopping and happened to park where the lady had fallen.

He said: “Three women were looking after the woman that had fallen and said she had tripped up on the pavement and banged her head."

Mr Parsons said he went back into town knowing the elderly woman was in “good hands” and came back an hour later to find she was still there.

He said: “The women standing by the elderly lady told me they had called for an ambulance three times by this point.

"They were fantastic to wait by her side for the whole time."

An East of England Ambulance Service Trust spokesman, said: “We would like to apologise for the wait and any distress caused.”

"Due to high levels of demand, three separate ambulance crews were dispatched, but were diverted to life-threatening calls, including a patient with chest pain, a stroke patient and a patient who was unconscious.

“We would urge her or her family to get in touch if they have any concerns or questions so that we can investigate fully.”