Dad dies after ambulance took ’90 minutes to arrive’ despite living just ONE mile away from hospital
Family says emergency services’ delay starved Martin Hale, 47, of oxygen and six days later had to turn off his life support machine at Southampton General hospital
A DAD died after an ambulance took 90 minutes to arrive despite him living only one mile from hospital, his family have claimed.
Martin Hale, 47, stopped breathing and collapsed to the floor at his home in Southampton when his loved ones called the emergency services.
The reports that, despite a number of frantic calls, his family say it took paramedics nearly an hour and a half to reach him on November 19.
Martin, who suffered from type 1 diabetes and used a wheelchair, did eventually get to Southampton General hospital.
However, by that point his brain had been starved of oxygen and six days later his parents had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support machine.
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In an interview with the his mother Rita said: “Waiting for the ambulance to arrive was just awful.
“When no one came after my first call, I rang the ambulance again. I rang them three times in total … The third time I rang I was screaming down the phone saying, ‘He’s gone now, it’s too late.’
“Apparently, when the paramedics finally arrived they said they’d only just got the call.”
She added: “I think cuts to the NHS are disgusting. I honestly cannot fault the paramedics. My complaint is about the time it took the ambulance to arrive.”
The South Central Ambulance Service, who took Martin to hospital, have launched an investigation into his death – he leaves behind his 11-year-old daughter Bella.
A spokesman said: “Mr Hale’s family has raised a complaint regarding South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s response on 19 November 2016.
“This is now formally being investigated by the Trust’s patient experience team who will be writing to Mr Hale’s family with the outcome of the investigation.”
This week the operator controversially began using taxis due to a shortage of ambulances to meet their community’s needs.
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