Family Devastated as Inadequate Response and Systemic Failings Result in Fatal Hemorrhage.
A heartbreaking inquest has unveiled the tragic death of 77-year-old Rashdah Bhatti, who bled to death in her own home on 14 June, as a consequence of errors made by 999 call handlers. The incident has shed light on the critical importance of prompt and accurate emergency response within the National Health Service (NHS).
The inquest, conducted at the coroner’s court in Ruthin, disclosed that Mrs. Bhatti’s injuries, stemming from varicose veins in her legs, were erroneously categorized by 999 call handlers. Despite frantic efforts by her relatives, who made seven separate emergency calls over three hours, they were informed that it would take an ambulance between two to five hours to reach her location.
At the time of the family’s calls, the Welsh Ambulance Service was grappling with a crisis, with a quarter of their vehicles queuing outside hospitals. Moreover, it was revealed that there were “systemic” failings in the call-handling system, which failed to recognize the gravity of Mrs. Bhatti’s condition and lacked guidance on how to control the bleeding.
In response to the incident, the Welsh Ambulance Service has since implemented significant changes to prevent such a tragedy from recurring. These include upgrading the categorization of calls involving hemorrhage and providing comprehensive training and guidance for call handlers.
However, Senior Coroner John Gittins expressed doubts about whether these changes were sufficient to avert a similar incident in the future. He announced his intention to issue a prevention of future deaths report with the Welsh Ambulance Service, citing concerns about the persistence of human errors among call handlers.
Notably, the coroner clarified that this report would not address the ongoing issue of ambulance delays, as efforts to tackle this problem were already in progress.
The cause of Mrs. Bhatti’s death was officially recorded as hemorrhage, and the coroner concluded that her passing was an “accident contributed to by neglect.” This tragic incident has left Mrs. Bhatti’s family devastated, with the belief that timely treatment could have saved her life. They expressed hope that the coroner’s report would lead to essential improvements within the ambulance service and prevent similar heartaches in the future.
This heart-wrenching case serves as a stark reminder of the critical role played by emergency responders and the need for continuous improvements in the healthcare system to ensure the safety and well-being of all patients.
Resources:
1.https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-66751473
2.https://www.msn.com/en-xl/news/other/woman-died-following-999-call-failures-inquest/ar-AA1gz9Um
4.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health_Service
5.https://fullfact.org/health/what-is-the-nhs/
6.https://bing.com/search?q=inquest
7.https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inquest
8.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inquest
9.http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/