A driving instructor died of a cardiac arrest after his wife had to transport him to hospital during rush hour because no ambulances were available. David Mann fell ill during a driving lesson on 13 January, leading to three emergency calls that were unsuccessful in securing an ambulance.
The Worcestershire coroner, David Reid, has written to the Health Secretary and NHS England to help prevent future deaths. He stated that lives are being put at risk due to ambulances being held up outside hospitals when beds are unavailable.
Mr Mann's wife, Elaine, drove him to the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch, accompanied by an off-duty GP. The inquest heard that Mr Mann suffered a cardiac arrest upon arrival at the hospital. Staff did not use a defibrillator, in accordance with current guidance.
The coroner gave a narrative conclusion, stating that if an ambulance had arrived on time and if Mr Mann had been defibrillated, he would probably not have died. Elaine expressed her shock at the findings, stating, "He's just been badly let down. Not just because of the ambulance, but because of the treatment at A&E as well. He should still be here."
West Midlands Ambulance Service stated it experienced significant delays offloading patients at hospitals on the day Mr Mann fell ill, losing 2,312 hours, which is equivalent to 192 ambulances being off the road. They added that over 200 requests to hospitals to take patient handovers for high-priority cases were refused.
Dr Jules Walton, Chief Medical Officer at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, offered an apology to Mr Mann's family and acknowledged "failings in Mr Mann's care." She stated that training for clinical teams has been strengthened and work is ongoing to improve ambulance handover times and reduce emergency department delays.