THE mother of a disabled girl with life-threatening health problems has revealed how delays getting an ambulance have left her facing "terrifying" waits for critical medical help.

Joanne Redfearn believes her experiences show the NHS in the North-East is not just at breaking point, but has broken.

Daughter Kelsey, 11, has needed an ambulance six times in the last four months. Miss Redfearn said that on each occasion there had been serious delays and problems.

Kelsey has an extremely rare condition, alternating hemiplegia of childhood, as well as severe epilepsy.

She suffers from fits and seizures which can leave paralysed from the neck down.

Drugs administered by her mother to bring her round from the paralysis can stop her breathing and, ultimately, stop her heart from beating if medical help does not arrive quickly.

Kelsey is 'red-flagged' on the system, meaning ambulances are sent as a priority and should arrive within eight minutes.

Miss Redfearn, 35, of Coundon, near Bishop Auckland, said recent problems with ambulance have included:

- A crew unable to find Bishop Auckland's Newgate Centre when Kelsey collapsed while out shopping with her mother

- Ambulance technicians arriving without the necessary skills to help Kelsey, prompting a further wait for better-trained paramedics

- Ambulances coming from Peterlee and Barnard Castle taking well over eight minutes

- Volunteers from St John's Ambulance being sent, despite again not having the necessary skills

Kelsey collapsed in Tesco on Boxing Day.

An ambulance arrived promptly and took her to Darlington Memorial Hospital, however the schoolgirl then had to wait around seven hours for another ambulance to arrive to transfer her to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.

After another seizure on Monday, the family was left waiting for more than an hour for paramedics who could take Kelsey to hospital.

Miss Redfearn, a mother of four, said the delays and problems had left "terrified" when dialling 999 for help.

She praised the professionalism and understanding of NHS staff who dealt with Kelsey, however she said the system which they worked in was "broken".

"It's beyond a crisis - being a mother at home with a sick child and help isn't coming is terrifying.

"They're telling you down the phone that help is coming, but you're screaming that you need help now.

"How long before someone dies because of these delays?"

In response, North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust said seriously ill patients always took priority.

However, the trust added in a statement: "At times of excessive demand, response times may not be met as quickly as we would like. Emergency services across the NHS are currently under significant pressure and we continue to work with our partners to mitigate the impact on patients.

“Where patients highlight recurrent issues with the service we will work with other NHS partners to identify potential alternative pathways to healthcare that will ensure patient safety.”