A Leitrim resident who waited almost four hours for an ambulance has described the ordeal as 'chaotic'.
Mary who lives in the Carrick-on-Shannon area, accompanied an elderly friend to the GP's surgery last month, when the assistance of the emergency services were required.
She claims it took four hours for an ambulance to arrive, with the crew on board informing her they were tasked with callouts in Letterkenny and Galway before hand.
On arrival to Sligo Hospital, Mary says up to six ambulances were parked outside the A&E, with some patients having a two hour wait before being brought in.
The local woman says it was frustrating to see ambulances severely delayed due to waiting times at the Northwest facility.
''The ambulance drivers were very stressed over it, they were sitting there during valuable time for someone else that needed an ambulance urgently and then for them to clean the ambulance it all adds time. For that one ambulance that was sitting outside the door, that was three and a half hours that that ambulance was held off going on the road for someone else. If it's an emergency, what are you meant to do?''
