THE SCOTTISH Ambulance service has apologised to a Glasgow homeless charity after it had to wait over an hour on three separate occasions for 999 help.

Homeless Project Scotland has dubbed the waiting times as "deeply concerning" as it warned a serious situation could arise in the future if the issue is not improved.

It comes after incidents included a pregnant service user and an 88-year-old woman waiting over 60 minutes for emergency attention after suddenly falling ill.

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Glasgow soup kitchen provides baby supplies to those at 'crisis' point

Colin McInnes, who is the Chairman of the Argyle Street facility, is worried there could be a loss of life if the charity is faced with a similar time gap in an emergency again.

He said: “From an organisation’s concern, when we need an ambulance we expect it to come immediately.

“We understand that the health service is overwhelmed but when we need an ambulance, we’re looking at a medical patient who is on the ground with only potentially a matter of minutes left in them.

“It makes us wonder, where did this go wrong and what do we do from here?

“In situations like this, we use or human instinct and make sure the person is wrapped up in foil blankets and kept warm.”

Glasgow Times:

READ MORE: Coronavirus: Ambulances turned away from Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital

The charity runs a weekly soup kitchen from underneath the Heilanman’s Umbrella. Since December, organisers have had to dial 999 on six separate occasions.

Colin added: “We found out that the 88-year-old woman who collapsed had actually taken a stroke. It’s deeply concerning because in these situations, time matters.”

Now, volunteers who are trained in providing Naloxone fear ambulances won't reach the facility on time in the event that they might have to use the overdose-reversing drug.

Colin added: “What if we were using Naloxone and the ambulance couldn’t come on time? That person would die.

“There is a strain on the ambulance service and it’s becoming more and more obvious. If we don’t have a reliable emergency service, how will lives be saved?

“It upsets me seeing the chancellor giving millions to businesses. Where is the money for the NHS and the ambulance service? It’s almost on its knees.”

Glasgow Times:

The Scottish Ambulance Service has revealed paramedics were working "flat out" during the times the charity had made the 999 calls as crews responded to the needs of the global pandemic in Glasgow.

A spokesman said: “All our calls are prioritised and triaged by experienced call handlers to ensure the most seriously ill patients are given the highest priority.

"Unfortunately, demand at the time of these three calls was exceptionally high and our crews were working flat out to help our sickest patients whilst dealing with the pressures of winter and a global pandemic.

"We are sorry for the delay these patients experienced. We will be contacting the Homeless charity directly to apologise and to ensure we organise the most appropriate help for their users when necessary.”

Earlier this month, we reported how ambulances were being turned away from the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital as the health service struggled to cope with a sudden influx of admissions.

Those needing treatment were taken to the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Royal Alexandra Hospital, in Paisley.