A rise in deaths due to ambulance delays reported in West Midlands

It has been reported in the past year that ambulance delays are increasing. This increased delay in ambulance response means that people are not getting the life-saving treatment they require.

Statistics reported by the BBC have shown that people in the West Midlands have sadly passed away due to the delays in ambulance response times. Patients and campaigners have called for urgent action following reports that death figures have risen from 1 in 2020 to 37 up until September 2022[1].

We have also very recently spoken about upcoming ambulance worker strikes, which can be found here.

Ambulance services have stated that they are working hard to combat the long delays, but this is only likely to increase in the coming weeks with the upcoming strike action. They have also made comment about NHS hospitals and their admission times, stating that this is causing a further backlog.

Despite wait times for category 1 emergencies being 7 minutes, the BBC article states that one patient had to wait more than 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive. Another patient waiting over five hours on two separate occasions despite requiring treatment for a terminal illness, she passed away in the following weeks and the ambulance service have since apologised.

Who can bring about a claim?

The patient who has been affected may be able to bring about a claim. However, it can also sadly be the case that the patient has passed as a result of the delay. In such instances, the executor of the estate or the next of kin/dependents may be able to bring about a claim.

Our specialist team will be able to discuss whether you have a right to bring about a claim, so if you or a loved one has been affected do not hesitate to contact us.

How much would my claim be worth?

It is often difficult to value clinical negligence claims at their outset given the complexities involved however we will pursue two forms of compensation for you:

• General damages – an award of money for the pain and suffering you have endured as a result of the negligence.
• Special damages – an award of money for all of your out of pocket expenses such as travel expenses, medication costs, loss of earnings, treatment costs both past and future. This list is not exhaustive and is very case-specific.

Why choose Oakwood Solicitors?

We have a dedicated team of solicitors and paralegals who have many years’ experience between them in running cases of this nature. They are highly trained to deal with all aspects of clinical and medical negligence.

Oakwood Solicitors Ltd wishes to ensure that clients are not overwhelmed by legal jargon or medical terms that they don’t understand and aims to allow the claims procedure to be as transparent as possible.

Source

[1] Big rise in numbers dying after West Midlands ambulance delays – BBC News

Further reading

Accident and emergency department claims – Oakwood Solicitors

WHAT TO DO NEXT

If you have been affected by lack of treatment or late diagnosis as a result of the increased delays within the NHS, or require any advice about legal proceedings, call us on 0113 200 9720 for a free initial consultation.