Woman found unwell by police dies after four-hour wait for ambulance

A woman who collapsed on her bathroom floor and was found by police has died after waiting nearly four hours for an ambulance.

Julie Parker, 55, was heard "groaning" inside the property in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, on Monday and officers checking on her welfare called for an ambulance after breaking down her door.

Paramedics did not appear for hours and Julie was pronounced dead at Crosshouse Hospital. Her family said she had a heart attack in the ambulance.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said it was under "significant pressure due to lengthy hospital turnaround times" that day, with the delays preventing crews from going back out to treat other patients.

Julie's brother, William Parker, is calling on the Scottish government to take urgent action on waiting times.

The 61-year-old said: "These sticking plasters they're putting on the NHS, it's not working.

"We cannot go on like this - people dying, people unable to get to hospital."

Health Secretary Angela Constance said the long wait was unacceptable and the government was working to ensure there were no "unnecessary delays" in transferring patients to hospitals.

William said his sister was "an absolute diamond of a lassie".

"Julie was the life and soul of any party she attended," he told BBC Scotland News.

"She had a heart of gold and would've gave you her last. She never grumbled, even during the hard times she went through."

Julie worked as a dog sitter and dog walker in Kilmarnock.

William said his sister had not answered the door when a woman went to collect her dog from Julie's flat.

"(The dog owner) could hear moaning and groaning and so she phoned the police," he said.

Officers broke down the door and found Julie lying in the bathroom.

William said the officers thought she could have been lying there for two days.

He said police could not have moved her without risking more damage, and medical staff were needed to help.

"They phoned an ambulance immediately and it took almost four hours to come," said William.

"I spoke to one of the police officers who attended and he said they called umpteen times to ask when the ambulance would come."

William said Julie's health deteriorated rapidly in the ambulance and she had a heart attack. She was pronounced dead at Crosshouse Hospital.

He was in England on a course when he heard from his cousin that Julie had died.

"It was devastating to hear that," he said. "When that phone call came in, I just crumbled."

He said his parents were "numb" after Julie's death.

"We're destroyed, as a family we're destroyed," he said. "It's killing us, the fact of her lying there for that length of time.

"I know the NHS is on its knees, it's crumbling. I know why the ambulance didn't attend - it was held up at A&E.

"It's underfunded and things have got to change. It's only going to get worse with an ageing population."

The family are waiting on the results of the post mortem examination.

William added: "More people need to come forward and shout from the rooftops that the NHS is not fit for purpose."

He said his sister loved going to Portugal, so the family hope to spread her ashes there.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said: "We would like to extend our deepest condolences to Ms Parker's family. We are very sorry for their loss.

"On 22 June, our service was under significant pressure due to lengthy hospital turnaround times at University Hospital Crosshouse, including delays of over six hours. These delays prevent our crews from getting back out on the road to treat other patients.

"We continue to work with NHS Ayrshire and Arran in addressing extended hospital turnaround times and will be undertaking a full review into the circumstances surrounding this incident."

The SAS has asked Julie's family to contact their patient experience team to discuss the case at an appropriate time.

Vicki Campbell, director of acute services at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, said: "We offer our heartfelt and sincere condolences to Ms Parker's family.

"We will undertake a review to fully understand events and plan to do this on a multi-agency basis.

"Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to make any additional comment."

Campbell said the health board would continue to monitor ambulance handover waits with SAS, alongside efforts to prepare for increased demand.

She added: "As with other boards in Scotland, there is high demand to access unscheduled care services and we are currently experiencing significant pressures across the whole health and care system.

"If delays are identified, then these are actively managed to mitigate risks wherever possible."

Health Secretary Angela Constance said the government was working with SAS and NHS boards to manage pressures, and said some A&Es have "specific challenges".

She said: "It is unacceptable for anyone to face a long wait for an ambulance and my thoughts are with Ms Parker's family over this profoundly concerning set of circumstances.

"I expect the Scottish Ambulance Service to engage fully with Ms Parker's family to answer the questions they have.

"Patient safety remains our top priority and we are determined to ensure there are no unnecessary delays in responding and transferring patients to hospitals, including Crosshouse Hospital."