A woman was left waiting for more than two hours for hospital transport after gruelling treatment, having to call a taxi to make sure she was home in time to see her carer.

Simone Simmons, from Hendon, had finished her treatment at the Macmillan Cancer Centre in London when she went to the patient lounge to await her transport home, provided by G4S.

Ms Simmons was left waiting for two hours and, on arriving to the lounge, spoke to others who had already been waiting for more than three hours after chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Eventually Ms Simmons, who is a wheelchair user, had to call a minicab in order to get home in time to see her carer, which had to be paid for out of her own pocket.

She said: "They cannot leave very sick, vulnerable patients who are in a bad state anywhere - you just do not leave them waiting and waiting without any tea or coffee or even water."

Ms Simmons, who has formerly held positions at a number of hospitals across London, said the hospital would always offer to foot the bill if patients were waiting for a long time.

She continued: "These things would never have happened.

"When I worked at the Royal Free there were times when transport could not always be on time but in those days at least people did not wait like this - not at all."

For Ms Simmons, who is in her 60s, sitting for a long time causes intense pain as she had discs removed in her back, and the Macmillan Cancer Centre is the only place that can treat her due to the rarity and complexity of her condition.

Andrew Dismore AM said: "'The way G4S have treated Simone, and indeed many other patients is a disgrace.

"By definition, these are the most ill and least mobile patients, to qualify for the transport service in the first place."

Ms Simmons did confirm that the money she paid for her minicab was agreed to be refunded.

Russell Hobbs, managing director of transport services at G4S, said: "I am very sorry for the inconvenience caused to this patient. On this occasion, there was an unusually high demand for the service during the afternoon, which resulted in an unforeseeable delay.

"We have been in touch with the individual to apologise and deal with any issues around their transportation on this occasion, as the level of service provided was not good enough.

"We are resolutely committed to patient care and delivering a good service to all those who use it."