You are absolutely right.
I think it is something we are all aware of (Vaguely, in the back of our minds), but don't really think about or consciously try to do something to make a difference (contacting MPs maybe? joining or starting campaign groups?) until it affects us directly.
My friend had a suspected stroke last year at home, was FAST positive, and what should have been a really urgent, time critical call, took the ambulance an hour and 20minutes to get to her.
I've got lots of tales of other people having to wait literally hours.
I have no criticism of the paramedics and ambulance staff at all but clearly (and I know they have got so much to do) the Government HAVE to make something like this a priority.
When watching programmes like Ambulance / Inside the Ambulance / 24 hours in A&E / etc., I often wonder why they don't have trained staff to take over the calls that don't really need blue lights and highly trained paramedics there for example (many of the isolated and lonely people that call in the night).... I wonder if there couldn't be a better triage or way of managing arrivals at hospital A&Es so there aren't 14 ambulances in a queue outside...... I cannot for the life of me understand why those of us with suspected broken limbs have to clog up A&E rather than being able to go straight to X-ray.... and lots of other thoughts.
I don't work there, so don't know the answers, but surely it isn't beyond the realms of Government to send people out to talk to the frontline staff in 50 A&E departments and some Ambulance call centres and so forth around the country and ask the people that deal with things day to day, how things could be managed better in the short term, whilst they sit down and make a longer term and more holistic plan, to include mental health and social care input, and GP surgeries to look together at all the issues that cause these unacceptable delays.