Great Britain: Ambulance delay kills mum

The Sun (U.K.) ^ | October 1, 2004 | John Coles

[Stoat]

EXCLUSIVE

Ambulance delay kills mum

Family in torment ... Nicole, dad Mark and Angela
 

By JOHN COLES

 

 MUM-of-two Beverley Stillman died after waiting three and a half hours for an ambulance.

The 43-year-old was suffering from an abscess and needed to go to hospital for antibiotics to be given intravenously.

But she died following a series of delays from an ambulance service officially ranked one of Britain’s worst.

Last night heartbroken husband Mark, 44, sobbed: “My wife died unnecessarily due to the delay. I want people to know about this because I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

Beverley was being treated at home in Warminster, Wilts, but the antibiotics were not working.

 

On Monday night her GP visited her and decided she should go into hospital.

Around 6.15pm he rang Wiltshire Ambulance Service on a direct number and was told a crew would be there within an hour.

The GP left, thinking Beverley, mum of Angela, 12, and Nicole, two, was in safe hands.

Self-employed electrician Mark said: “When they hadn’t turned up after an hour and a half I pressed redial on my phone as the doctor had used a special direct number.

The crew had been diverted to an emergency but we were next on the list.

“Another hour and a half went by and my wife was passing in and out of consciousness. I rang 999 and they said the ambulance was on its way. It arrived about half an hour later.”

 

Tragic ... Beverley Stillman
 

 

The two female paramedics had to call firefighters to help lift 18-stone Beverley.

They arrived within ten minutes, but Mark said his wife then had to CRAWL from her cramped bedroom to the landing before she could be strapped on a spinal board.

He said: “She could hardly breathe, collapsed three times but just made it. They put her into the ambulance and told me to go on ahead. That was the last time I saw her alive.”

Mark said the ambulance did not arrive at Bath’s Royal United Hospital 20 miles away until half an hour after him.

Another 30 minutes later a nurse ushered him into a private room and told him Beverley was dead.

He stormed: “Whoever is responsible for trying to run this ambulance service should resign.”

Mark believes his wife, a part-time admin worker, died from blood poisoning but a post mortem proved inconclusive.

Two biopsies have been taken for further tests.

In July Wiltshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust was slammed in Government figures which gave it ZERO stars for the second year running.

Health bosses said it was the worst in the country at responding to emergency calls, and local councillors were so concerned they set up a task force to look at the service.

Last night chief executive Tim Skelton — in the job a month — was not available to comment.

A spokesman said they had launched an investigation into Beverley’s case and added: “As soon as the call for help was upgraded to an emergency rather than an urgent case an ambulance responded within 11 minutes.”

[Stoat]

Remember this family when you hear someone singing the praises of Socialized medicine.

[Troublemaker]

He stormed: “Whoever is responsible for trying to run this ambulance service should resign.”

Wow, I would have a little more to say than that. I am sure he did....maybe they couldn't print it. Another sad testimony about the evils of socialized healthcare.

[capitan_refugio]

National Health system at work.

[Casloy]

Oh sure, so the ambulance was late. Hey, it was free, what do you expect?????

[Dont Mention the War]

Last night heartbroken husband Mark, 44, sobbed: “My wife died unnecessarily due to the delay. I want people to know about this because I don’t want it to happen to anyone else.”

You could vote Tory.

What's that? The Conservative Party is a bunch of socialized medicine lovers too?

Guess you guys dug your own graves then, didn't you? (No pun intended.)

[clee1]

Ist nacht socialized medicine wunderbar?

Ye reap what ye sow.

[DB]

If it was my wife, I would have got her to the hospital myself whatever it took.

Doesn't the husband have a car? The hospital was only 20 miles away.

The husband shares fault here as well.

[Troublemaker]

The two female paramedics had to call firefighters to help lift 18-stone Beverley

I agree w/ your point. Must be due to this. How much is 18-stone any way?

[sushiman]

252 pounds !!!

[Troublemaker]

I think 18-stone is around 250 lbs.. I have no idea what the scene was, but you would do everything possible to get her help.

[sushiman]

At 252 pounds maybe she couldn't fit in his car ?

[DB]

Come on, 252 lbs is heavy but it isn't that heavy.

Call friends/family/neighbors, whatever it takes.

[Irishgirl]

This seems to be another sad example of what happens when people are dumbed down and taught to tely on the state instead of themselves. Incredible.

[Irishgirl]

Oops meant to write "taught to rely." Makes me glad to be an American but scared of those who would want our country to become just another failed socialist quagmire.

[1FASTGLOCK45]

Actually, 252 pounds is alot for us average folks. Especially 252 pounds of dead weight (seriously, no pun intended) and going down a flight of stairs. I have a hard time lifting 120 pounds but i can just manage it. If the person is able to stumble around then it's barely manageble to assist them. They should have asked the neighbors for help, that's for sure. I would have tried everything possible to get her to the hospital if it was a luved one.
I have assisted friends aprox 250 pounds when they are drunk but staggering and it's hard enough to help them out walking, they could squish me as i'm 5'8 170 lbs. :)

[DB]

Agreed. I have to believe they had neighbors and friends to help if asked.

I'm nearly 6'-3" and weight about 210...

[OhGeorgia]

good ole NHS

[ApplegateRanch]

If it was my wife, I would have got her to the hospital myself whatever it took.

That was my wife's take, too.

Unfortunately, neither of you understand the NHS (National Hell Screwup):

If he had taken her, then she would have been admitted to "Casualty" and waited for several hours on a gurney, probably in the hallway, until she was finally taken into an exam room to wait another four hours, until a "causalty" doctor would examine her, and decide he needed to summon records from her GP. After dispatching an elderly, asthmatic runner with the request, a frantic search of the office by the GP's staff the next morning, they would be dispatched to the hospital via bicycle messengwer; then six more hours after they arrived, the new casualty doctor on the case would return to exam room and pronounce her dead.

[markstillman]

I am Mark Stillman Beverley's husband. My daughter has seen this discussion and has burst into tears at what she has read. Whilst i know you owe me no courtesy Please could you bear in mind that the peoples whose life you discuss and who are grieving may read what you write as is the case here. For the record the doctor that attended my wife had not told us how serious she was and left after calling for an ambulance, although he did tell the ambulance service how serious she was. My only concern at that time was for the pain she was in and had no idea her life was at risk unlike the doctor and ambulance service. But as i was kept being told that an ambulance was on the way I continued to wait for it rather than try to move her myself.

[lawgirl]

Calling John Edwards! calling John Edwards!