Coroner demands change after pensioner died following 10-hour ambulance wait
A coroner has demanded action following the death of a 79-year-old woman who had waited 10 hours for an ambulance.
Diana Fairweather-Purkis died from multi-organ failure at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton, two days after she was eventually admitted.
Teesside and Hartlepool Coroner Paul Appleton has written a Prevention of Future Deaths report, saying that more ambulance crews are needed to decrease wait times.
He has also said there were 'excessive delays' in crews being able to hand over patients to hospital staff.
The coroner has sent copies of the report to Ms Fairweather-Purkis' family, the Department of Health, NHS bosses, the North East Ambulance Service and the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
Following an inquest which concluded earlier this month, Mr Appleton concluded: 'Diana died due to multi-organ failure secondary to urosepsis.
'Diana's death was contributed to by: naturally occurring comorbidities, delays in ambulance attendance, and delays in the prescription and administration of antibiotics.'
Mr Appleton found that a call to the 111 service was made at 10.14pm on September 30 2022 and an ambulance should have got to her within two hours.
At almost 8am the next day, she had still not been seen by paramedics and the seriousness of her case was upgraded to a Category 2 with a target response time of 18 minutes.
A crew arrived at 8.10am – nine hours and 56 minutes after the initial 111 call.
She was taken to the University Hospital of North Tees, arriving at around 9am on October 1, where her condition deteriorated and she died on October 3.
Mr Appleton outlined his concerns, saying: 'There is insufficient Ambulance Service availability/resource to enable ambulances to attend to patients in a timely manner and in accordance with relevant target attendance times.
'There are excessive delays in ambulance crews being released following attendance at hospital, due to delays in patients being handed over to hospital staff.'
The report has been sent to the Department of Health, NHS England and NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board for action.
The ambulance service and hospital trust were sent a copy of the report as they were interested parties in the inquest.
An NHS England spokesperson said: 'NHS England extends its deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Diana Fairweather-Purkis.
'We are carefully considering the Prevention of Future Deaths Report sent to us by HM Coroner and will respond in due course.
'We know too many people are waiting too long for an ambulance.
'NHS England is working with the Government and Ambulance Services to tackle this priority for the NHS, so patients get the help they need quicker.'
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