Paramedic's anger after pothole takes out ambulance

Paramedic Nic Griffiths said ambulance crews were finding it hard to avoid potholes

A paramedic has spoken of her anger over the state of roads in Stoke-on-Trent after a pothole took her ambulance out of service on the way to a 999 call.

Nic Griffiths said her ambulance had to be taken off the road for checks after hitting the cavity on Leek Road during a nightshift.

The force of the impact was so great, it triggered a safety mechanism that cuts the fuel supply in the event of a crash, she said.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council was approached by the BBC for comment and declined to speak.

'Massive dents'

"We find when we are driving around that we try to miss [potholes], but as soon as you miss one, you're hitting another, and they're not just little holes, they are massive dents," said Ms Griffiths.

She has criticised the quality of road repairs, and adds ambulance crews warn each other about new and worsening potholes.

She said she was on the way to a patient with breathing difficulties when the pothole on Leek Road was struck, and it meant the ambulance was out of action for the rest of the shift, with a delay sorting a replacement.

"When something like this happens, that is preventable and avoidable, it really gets my back up," stated the paramedic.

"We need to get to these people quickly, not have an ambulance taken off the road."

West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “While responding to a category two call on Friday night, one of our ambulances hit a pothole which resulted in the fuel cut-off switch being activated.

"The ambulance, which was still driveable albeit at reduced speed, was returned to the hub to be reset. A second ambulance was immediately dispatched to attend the original 999 call.”