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The death of a young man in Belfast has shed light on systemic issues within the ambulance and healthcare service, as an inquest revealed that Lee Gannon waited almost four hours for paramedics before passing away in February 2022. Neil Sinclair, the chief paramedic officer, acknowledged that the failure to accurately assess Mr. Gannon’s condition played a significant role in his untimely death. This lapse in judgment had devastating consequences for both Lee and his family, according to Sinclair.
Lee Gannon’s tragic demise occurred at Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital, where he succumbed to lobar pneumonia, a severe bacterial infection. His family had sought help after he fell ill and began experiencing breathing difficulties in his Beechmount residence. Despite their call for assistance, the emergency response was slow, with Mr. Gannon not reaching the hospital until hours after the initial 999 call. This delay was exacerbated by issues related to ambulance handovers at emergency departments, which forced crews to wait for extended periods outside hospitals due to internal capacity constraints.
An ambulance call handler admitted to an error in judgment during the initial emergency call, as it was classified as a less urgent Category 2 response instead of the necessary Category 1 designation. This misclassification stemmed from a misunderstanding regarding the severity of Mr. Gannon’s condition, as his mother reported concerning symptoms like ineffective breathing and incoherent speech. Unfortunately, this error proved fatal as Lee Gannon’s chances of survival diminished with each passing minute until he ultimately succumbed to cardiac arrest due to the bacterial infection that had ravaged his body.
Following Mr. Gannon’s tragic passing, concerns were raised about the pressures faced by the ambulance service on that fateful night, leading to escalated waiting times and potential delays in critical care delivery. In light of these revelations, the importance of accurate triaging and prompt re-assessment of patients in distress was emphasized to prevent similar tragedies in the future. As the inquest concluded after two days of testimony, awaiting the coroner’s findings serves as a solemn reminder of the need for systemic improvements to prevent such heartbreaking losses in the future
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