ONE in four Brits have avoided calling for an ambulance over fears it would take too long to arrive, a shocking new poll reveals. Instead, 25 per cent opted for a taxi, 18 per cent walked to A&E, and a staggering 17 per cent stayed home, risking their health. 1 Ambulance delays are typically worse in the winter (stock image) Credit: Splash Nearly half of Brits, 49 per cent, are also worried they will face a 12-hour wait in A&E if the NHS is hit by another winter crisis while 45 per cent fear they won't be able to see their local GP.
The Savanta poll of 2,028 people, commissioned by the Lib Dems, comes after NHS chiefs warned healthcare services are likely to come under "significant pressure" and many patients will face longer waits for care during winter. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “The last Conservative Government’s incompetence and neglect has driven the NHS to breaking point. “The situation is now so bad that patients are worried that when they call 999 or their local GP, they won’t receive the care they so desperately need.
Read more on the NHS crisis TRAGIC LOSS Mum, 30, died days after miscarriage as doctors failed to spot deadly infection “ Winter after winter the NHS has faced the same crises and the Conservatives never did more than paper over the cracks. “Even now the Conservative leadership candidates are too busy firing insults at each other instead of taking responsibility for fixing the damage they did to our health service. “The crisis in the N.