FROM time to time there are reports of the inefficiency of the ambulance service.

I have had to seek help from the service on three occasions and have always found it to be extremely efficient.

Once when my husband fell at home, he is now 87 years old, I was unable to get him up. I phoned the ambulance service for help. I was asked if it was urgent and I stated that my husband was not injured but I could not get him up. I was told that the service was busy but help would arrive within an hour. This was no problem as my husband was not injured.

Well before the hour an ambulance arrived with two females. They not only got my husband up but checked him to make certain that he was not injured or in distress.

The second occasion my husband had a severe nose bleed. I was unable to get him to the surgery but the triage nurse at Forest Health Care arranged for an ambulance crew to attend.

She phoned me to tell me what had been arranged and as I put the phone down an ambulance arrived at my home.

Both personnel attended my husband to attempt to stop the bleeding but could not. I was told that they were going to take him to Gloucester Royal.

I declined the offer of taking him by ambulance to the hospital and drove him there instead. The ambulance crew secured my husband's nose bleed to prevent blood going into my car. He remained in hospital for two nights.

About 10.30 p.m. on Saturday, December 28, 2013 my husband left the lounge to let the dogs out.

I heard a noise followed by a groan. I went into the dining room, which leads from the lounge, and found my husband lying on the floor, face down. He had a lot of blood on the top of his head.

I managed to get him up onto a dining chair. I got a towel, put it on his head but it was soon soaked in blood. There was blood on his face, clothes and on the carpet nearby.

Much to my shame I am not very good at first aid. I phoned the ambulance service and asked for advice as to what to do. Being a Saturday evening I was aware that it is a busy night for the ambulance service.

The male who answered the call told me what to do, he also told me help was on the way and he would leave the line open until help had arrived.

Within a few minutes a paramedic arrived and immediately worked on my husband.

Very shortly afterwards an ambulance arrived with a male and female. All three attended to my husband, who had two injuries to his head, for over half an hour.

A decision was made to take him to Gloucester Royal. I was invited to travel with my husband in the ambulance but I declined and stated I would drive to the hospital. I would then be able to bring him home after treatment.

The weather that night was terrible, very cold and very frosty. The female attendant told me the roads were very dangerous and advised me to phone the hospital in two hours to find out what was happening to him. My husband was kept in hospital for two nights.

I have found the ambulance service to be efficient on the three occasions I have had to call on it.

Each time ambulance personal have attended to my husband they have been extremely professional and efficient. I am always amazed at the way the crew deal with my husband.

With the experience I have had with the ambulance service I can only praise it for the way they have dealt with my husband. I found that the telephone operator always kept me informed of what was happening.

– J Pennock, Ruardean Woodside.