Ms A complained about the way the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust responded to emergency calls made regarding her late brother, Mr B.
The investigation found that the emergency calls were given the correct prioritisation and that the delay in an ambulance arriving to Mr B was due to demand outstripping the Trust’s available resources at that time. However, the investigation also found that there were potentially missed opportunities to carry out a clinical telephone assessment of Mr B’s condition. It is not possible to say what the outcome of this assessment would have been had it taken place, but this uncertainty is an injustice to Ms A. To this extent, Ms A’s complaint was upheld.
The Trust agreed to apologise to Ms A for the failings identified during the investigation. It also agreed, that if it had not done so already, to provide feedback to the clinician that attempted to carry out the telephone assessment on the correct process for managing failed contact attempts. The Trust also agreed to conclude a policy review that it had undertaken and consider the inclusion of an action to verify the most appropriate contact number when 999 calls are made from a care or nursing home.