Someone found Kenneth Adams, a 70 year old resident of sheltered housing in Bridport, Dorset, collapsed on the floor with a scalp injury. They did not act upon his call for help at 4am, despite classifying it as a category three emergency, until 12.25pm – 8 hours later. By this point it was too late to save him and he bled to death from what was a relatively minor injury.
The coroner investigating the tragedy concluded that had Mr Adams received treatment by 10.25am, he would have survived and attributed the delay to a faulty triage system. South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust have apologised for the delay and accepted responsibility, while Magna Housing, who run the Vernons Court home where Mr Adams lived, have stated safety of residents is their top priority. Appello, who manage the site’s careline service, said the coroner found them compliant with their contract in not alerting a housing manager out-of-hours.
The coroner has urged the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), creators of the algorithm used by ambulance services, to amend it. However, they have yet to respond to requests for comment.
Kenneth Adams’ brother Paul has spoken of his outrage at the “callous waste of life”, saying that trusted organisations failed to exercise judgement when it was most needed.
The tragic death of Kenneth Adams has highlighted flaws in the ambulance dispatch system and an apparent lack of action which could have saved his life. South Western Ambulance Service have apologised and all organisations involved have reiterated their commitment to safety and wellbeing of those they serve. However, the IAED are yet to respond to requests for comment on the coroner’s recommendation to amend their algorithm. It remains to be seen whether any changes will be implemented in order to prevent similar tragedies in future.
