Mum dies after ambulance simply 6 minutes from her dwelling was cancelled | UK | News | EUROtoday

A mum died in her sleep hours after an ambulance six minutes away from her dwelling was stood down, in inquest has heard.

Mother of two Karen Ovenell, 43, from Harrietsham, Kent, rang the emergency companies after she suffered sharp, capturing pains in her chest.

A 999 name handler organized for an ambulance but it surely was then stood down and Ms Ovenell was suggested to both go to A&E or contact her GP the following day.

Dad, Arthur Ovenell, 68, has criticised the NHS and ambulance service for cancelling the ambulance, which he insists may have saved her life.

He informed Kent Online: “If they had turned up that night she could have stood a chance. I really believe that the ambulance service and NHS let her down.”

Mr Ovenell stated: “She was such a lovely girl. She thought the world of her two sons. We were very close. I miss her so much.”

At an inquest on Tuesday, February 11 assistant coroner James Dillon heard how after Ms Ovenell rang the ambulance service simply after midnight on August 16, a Category 2 ambulance crew was dispatched to her dwelling in eight minutes.

Category 2 ambulances are for critical situations, together with strokes, coronary heart assaults and sepsis.

Mr Dillon was informed that at 12.37am a name was made to evaluate if the case wanted to be upgraded or may very well be downgraded in severity.

Evidence from the listening to at Oakwood House heard how the decision handler at South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) determined inside two minutes of chatting with Ms Ovenell that her signs weren’t proof of a cardiac primarily based and he stood the ambulance down.

Vikki Lewis, a medical operations supervisor at SECAmb, defined how a critical investigation report and audit of the decision revealed the handler had made the choice with out utilizing the first and acute care system (PACS) device to evaluate Ms Ovenell.

The audit concluded the choice was “unsafe and without based evidence”, in keeping with Kent Online.

The coroner heard that had the paramedics arrived, an ECG would have been carried out, a myocardial infarction would have been noticed and Ms Ovenell would have been taken to hospital.

Clinical supervisor Joshua Aicken-Bowley advised Ms Ovenell would save time by going to A&E as an alternative of ready for the ambulance, however she opted for his different suggestion to attend until the following day as she had a younger youngster at dwelling.

She was then suggested to try to get some sleep, however informed that if her signs worsened that she ought to name 999 or go to A&E. A pathology report gave the reason for dying as ischemic coronary heart illness.

Mr Aicken-Bowley informed the courtroom he had by no means seen anybody presenting coronary heart assault signs like Ms Ovenell’s.

Asked if an ECG would have detected the issue had the ambulance not been stood down, Mr Aicken-Bowley stated: “Yes, probably.”

Darragh Coffey, representing Ms Ovenell’s companion Paul Chimes and her father, informed the courtroom SECAmb medical supervisors making selections about standing down calls have been unable to entry GP notes for sufferers.

Mr Coffey argued it could have been higher to let paramedics go to Ms Ovenell’s dwelling and see her in individual to evaluate her.

The belief had 64 calls excellent on the night time of Ms Ovenell’s dying and simply six ambulances within the space, in keeping with Kent Online.

Since Ms Ovenell’s dying, SECAmb has modified the way it operates comparable calls. A spokesman for the service stated: “Our thoughts and condolences are with Ms Ovenell’s family and friends at this difficult time.

“Following a radical investigation now we have taken steps to enhance our coaching and operational processes, shared studying from the incident with our clinicians and, having attended the inquest, will proceed to work with the coroner forward of their findings.”

A tribute on Facebook posted after the inquest reads: “Wow! Shocking! It’s dangerous regardless however when somebody … WOW her poor kids! Sleep peacefully Karen Ovenell Chimes”.