A woman in Wales shared the harrowing experience of watching her partner of 18 years die after facing a distressing delay for an ambulance at their home. Josephine Sheehan recounted the tragic events that led to the death of her partner, Jason, aged 51, who went into cardiac arrest in the early hours of May 24.
Josephine described how Jason woke up complaining of severe shooting pains in his arms. Recognising a potential cardiac arrest, she immediately called 999 but was informed there were no ambulances available for four hours. Despite being advised to find aspirin by the call handler, Josephine could only provide painkillers and a hot water bottle to Jason. As they waited for help, Jason collapsed and tragically passed away before medical assistance arrived.
Josephine voiced her frustration, believing that if the severity of Jason’s condition had been acknowledged earlier, he might still be alive. She highlighted her concerns about the state of the ambulance service and the NHS in Wales, emphasising the need for awareness and improvement in emergency response times.
According to the Welsh Ambulance Service, immediate life-threatening calls are meant to be attended within eight minutes. However, recent statistics revealed delays in reaching such calls promptly, with over 10,000 patients waiting long periods at emergency units in Wales. Josephine’s experience underscored the critical need for timely medical assistance in life-threatening situations.
A post-mortem examination revealed that Jason’s death was partly due to hardened arteries causing a blockage leading to a cardiac arrest. Josephine expressed regret over the delay that she believed may have contributed to his death, sharing her hope that speaking out would prompt necessary changes to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Lee Brooks, the executive director of operations at the Welsh Ambulance Service, extended condolences to Josephine and acknowledged the need for improvements in response times. He cited broader system pressures affecting timely care delivery and outlined efforts to enhance service provision and alleviate strain on healthcare resources.
Josephine’s heartfelt account shed light on the devastating impact of delayed emergency responses and underscored the importance of addressing systemic challenges to ensure prompt and effective medical care for all individuals in need.