Patients dying due to ambulance and 999 call handler failings

Failings by ambulance services and emergency call handlers result in almost two patients dying every month, according to a review of coroners' reports.

Ambulance services were contacted by coroners in England and Wales 86 times in the last four years warning them changes need to be made to prevent any more deaths.

Over half of those warnings related to ambulance delays or problems with 999 call handlers.

Reports from coroners are written if they believe there is a risk of another death occurring in similar circumstances.

Hannah Bottomley, clinical negligence solicitor at Potter Rees Dolan, said:

The lack of training provided to call handlers is also an issue. It is the call handler in the resource centre who is responsible for determining the severity of the injury and allocating an ambulance within a particular category.

If the call handler does not recognise a condition as severe, they may downgrade the category often meaning the ambulance will take longer to arrive with the patient.

In life-threatening situations minutes matter and downgrading by just one category can be the difference between life and death.

In addition to ensuring that the call has been appropriately categorised the call handler also needs to ensure they have allocated the ambulance (or resource) and in some situations will need to talk those with the patient through appropriate steps to take whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive with them.

At Potter Rees Dolan we recognise that things can go wrong and there can be delays in ambulances reaching their destination.

Hannah added:

A lack of appropriate training for call handlers is clearly putting lives at risk and I would hope that ambulance services around the country take the conclusion of this report on board and provide appropriate training to all staff to make the system safer for all patients.

Head of the clinical negligence department, Helen Dolan, has acted on behalf of many clients who have suffered a serious injury due to the negligence of emergency 999 call handlers or the ambulance staff.

Read how a mother-of-two was severely brain damaged due to 999 call error which resulted in a delay in the ambulance arriving at her home. As a result of the delay, she suffered a severe brain injury from lack of oxygen; her brain injury has had a devastating impact on her and also on her family.

We have also acted on behalf of a woman who was transferred to another hospital by ambulance but she was not monitored throughout the transfer. The ambulance equipment aggravated her brain bleed leaving her severely brain damaged. Her family were kept in the dark for years despite an internal investigation.

Helen Dolan is head of the clinical negligence department at Potter Rees Dolan. Should you have any queries about clinical negligence issues and wish to speak with Helen or any other member of the team please contact us on 0161 237 5888.