A GRANDMOTHER suffering from her second stroke in a week was told to stay at home and take two paracetamol by a Macclesfield paramedic, her husband claims.

When Eileen Cross, 78, of Hillcrest Road, Gawsworth, started slurring her words, husband George immediately recognised the symptoms and called an ambulance.

But he says the Rapid Response paramedic who arrived in his car sent the ambulance away, told Eileen she had a chest infection, and advised her to take a couple of painkillers.

George then had to re-order an ambulance ten minutes after he had left. Grandfather-of-six George, 74, said: "I am very angry, this should not have happened.

"My wife had been in hospital for a week after having a stroke.

"The day after she came home the exact same thing happened, she was struggling to speak and she went most peculiar, so I dialled 999 and said it was happening again."

George, who used to work for the ambulance service in Cheshire, said: "I knew it was another stroke, she could hardly talk, it was as though she was drunk.

"He (the paramedic) said she just had a chest infection. He told me to give her two paracetamol and left.

"A stroke can have very serious consequences and should be treated as such.

"Everyone knows you have to act as quickly as possible.

"I was employed by Cheshire County Council for 14 years on the ambulances – if I treated a patient like this I would have been dismissed."

The father-of-three, who called a second ambulance when Eileen’s condition deteriorated, added: "It’s frightening, they are supposed to be professionals."

Eileen is now recovering at Macclesfield Hospital and hoping to return home soon.

George added: "We would like to thank the staff on wards nine and 11 for the treatment she received while in the hospital, they were all marvellous."

A North West Ambulance spokeswoman said: "The Trust understands the patient wishes to make a formal complaint concerning the level of patient care received from the ambulance service.

"This will necessitate a detailed investigation which will take time to complete.

"It is therefore inappropriate to comment further at this stage."

The ambulance service confirmed two ambulances and a vehicle were sent to the couples’ address, the first a Rapid Response Vehicle at 5.56pm, with an ambulance at 6pm, and then a second ambulance at 7.19pm.