A Darlington dad has told how he lay unable to move in the middle of the road for two-and-a-half hours waiting for ambulance after a horror cycling accident.

Keen cyclist Robert Mochrie had just finished work for the week on Friday November 25 when he decided to head out for a ride on his bike.

But the barrister’s cycle ride took a turn for the worst when just two minutes into his journey a driver opened their door as he was passing, sending him flying.

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Robert, 40, then lay in the road for two-and-a-half hours while he waited for an ambulance in extreme pain and discomfort.

The Northern Echo: Robert Mochrie, 40, with son Thomas, 12, and daughter Emily, 10.Robert Mochrie, 40, with son Thomas, 12, and daughter Emily, 10. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Mr Mochrie told The Northern Echo: “I’d just finished work for the week at 2pm and decided to go out on the bike. I hadn’t made it five minutes away when a driver opened their door on me.

“My body made a noise like bubble wrap popping as I hit the door and then landed on the road.

”I waited so long for the ambulance to arrive my children ended up stumbling across me lying in the road as they walked home - my daughter Emily, who’s 10, was terrified.

“It took them about two-and-a-half hours to get to me and it was pretty much dark by the time they arrived. I just can’t believe it took them that long to get there.”

The Northern Echo: Robert spent six days in hospital after his accident.Robert spent six days in hospital after his accident. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Robert was taken to North Tees Hospital where he remained on the wards for six days as doctors treated him for his injuries.

He has been left with a broken vertebra and rib and is struggling to move his arms due to the pain and bruising.

He added: “I’m always cautious when I go past a car because I worry about a door being opened on me but you never think it’ll be you until it happens.

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“The paramedics were great and it wasn’t their personal fault it took so long but clearly something needs to change.”

Now the North East Ambulance Service has apologised to Robert for the painful delay in his ambulance arriving, saying they fell below their normal level of service.

The Northern Echo: Robert suffered a broken vertebra and rib.Robert suffered a broken vertebra and rib. (Image: NORTHERN ECHO)

Stephen Segasby, Chief Operating Officer at North East Ambulance Service, said: "I am sorry for the delay that Mr Mochrie experienced after his accident. This is not the level of service we want to deliver. On the day Mr Mochrie called 999, we were operating at our highest levels of escalation and demand in the Darlington area was particularly high.

“We are working closely with our system partners to reach patients quicker and apologise to anyone who hasn’t received the service they would expect. Delays to ambulance responses is not something we can address alone. This will require change across health and social care to address capacity and free up patients who do not need to be in hospital.

“Ambulance delays are a recognised concern across the country. However, we continue to be one of the fastest responding ambulance services in the country to life-threatening emergency 999 calls, although we are not achieving our response times to patients with lower acuity needs as quickly as we want to. 

“We encourage Mr Mochrie to contact us so we can review his concerns and feed back to him directly.”

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