Inquest held into death of Norfolk man after ambulance delay

Our Medical Negligence & Inquests team are continuing to support the bereaved family of local man, Geoffrey Hoad, after an inquest into his death raised concerns about continued ambulance waiting hours at two Norfolk hospitals.

Mr Hoad, 85, was recovering from a routine operation at private, Spire Norwich Hospital in August 2022, when his condition deteriorated and staff called an ambulance to transfer him to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital’s (NNUH) emergency assessment unit, which is located just over a mile away.

A three-day inquest at Norfolk Coroner’s Court, heard evidence that it took over 14 hours for an ambulance to arrive, during which time Mr Hoad’s condition continued to worsen, and he sadly passed away at the NNUH.

Although Senior Coroner, Jacqueline Lake, found Mr Hoad’s death was due to natural causes, she confirmed she did have concerns about continuing ambulance delays and would be sending a Prevent of Future Deaths (PFD) report to Spire Healthcare and the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST), as well as to the secretary of state for health. This is the third time in the past 13 months that HM Coroner has issued PFD reports to Spire Healthcare and the EEAST in relation to unacceptable delays in transferring patients to the NNUH.

Our solicitor, Anne Saunderson, who represented Mr Hoad’s family at the inquest, said: “This is not the first time HM Coroner has issued warning notices in relation to a death involving significant delays in the provision of ambulances to transfer patients from Spire Norwich hospital to local NHS hospitals.

“Mr Hoad had to wait nearly 15 hours to be transferred one mile to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and it has been disappointing to hear that the situation with ambulance delays remains largely unchanged.

“Decisive action is required by the secretary of state for health, East of England Ambulance Service Trust and Spire Hospital to address this issue and ensure future deaths are preventable.”

Our Medical Negligence & Inquests team are able to assist bereaved families with a potential negligence claim and provide support in those cases which require an inquest.

 For more information, or to arrange a free no obligation chat, please call us on 01603 620508 or email the team directly.