An elderly woman died after waiting three hours for an ambulance that never arrived.

A heartbreaking incident occurred on December 27 when 67-year-old Janet Lyon, from Leicestershire, found herself struggling to breathe and called the emergency number. She was in need of urgent medical attention, but unfortunately, the ambulance never arrived and she tragically passed away. Janet's daughter, Katie Keating, was understandably enraged and had filed a complaint with the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).

According to Katie, her mother was advised by the call handler to go to a walk-in center or see her GP because her problem was not deemed life-threatening. EMAS later issued an apology, but maintained that the 999 call was handled appropriately. They also mentioned that they were facing a high demand for emergency services at the time. Katie expressed her disappointment with their response, stating that her mother's death could have been prevented if she had received prompt medical attention.

The cause of Janet's death, according to her death certificate, was pneumonia. Katie revealed that her mother's lungs were filled with fluid and she essentially drowned in the three hours she waited for an ambulance. She firmly believes that if the call handler had advised her to go to the A&E, her brother would have taken her and she would have received the necessary medical intervention, such as oxygen. Katie believes that Janet's instincts were right in calling for an ambulance.

EMAS, in their letter to the family, stated that the call was classified as a category 3 response, which meant that it did not require an immediate emergency response. The call handler had advised Janet to make her own way to a walk-in center or contact her GP, and to call 999 if her symptoms worsened. It wasn't until a second call was made, stating that Janet was not breathing, that the call was upgraded to a category 1 and the paramedics arrived in two minutes.

The ambulance service explained that at the time of the 999 call, they were experiencing a high demand for emergency responses. They also mentioned that the caller was correctly advised, based on a predetermined script, that her situation was not an immediate life-threatening emergency and an ambulance would not be dispatched. Susannah Ashton, Divisional Director for Leicestershire at EMAS, expressed her condolences to the family and apologized for the delay in reaching Janet. She emphasized that patient care and safety are their top priorities and they are fully investigating the reason for the delay. They are also in contact with the family through their Patient Advice and Liaison Service.

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