Mathew Hulbert, of Hinckley, Leicestershire, has been left distraught after his mother Jacqueline died two days after she was left waiting for 11 hours on the floor of her home for an ambulance. Jacqueline had fallen over in her bedroom in the early hours of July 10, and could not be moved without the help of paramedics.
LeicestershireLive reported that doctors later discovered a urinary tract infection (UTI) which developed into a case of sepsis before she died. Her son has been left questioning whether his 78-year-old mother, who was known as Jackie, would still be alive today if the ambulance had reached her sooner.
Mr Hulbert, a parish councillor for Barwell, said: "The system is clearly broken. Perhaps if an ambulance had got to mum in that first hour she might still be here, but we'll never know the answer."
The 42-year-old said he woke up to the phone ringing at 4.30am and called a friend to drive him to a distressed Jackie. She had fallen on the way to the bathroom at around 2am and used the council-provided lifeline alarm around her neck to call for help.
He said: "I'm the first the council would have contacted and they were trying to call me for a while but I was asleep. When I did wake up, I had to call a friend as I don't drive to take me the 15-minute journey to Barwell.
"When I got there, we decided we couldn't move her in case of any potential injury and waited for the ambulance to arrive. The indignity of mum on the bedroom floor for 11 hours, unable to go to the toilet but desperate to go, and there was nothing I could do beyond calling 999 again and again and again. I shall for the rest of my days remember those 11 hours because they were horrendous."
Mr Hulbert said he was told there was a 10-hour wait for an ambulance, but was assured "it shouldn't take that long" in their situation. Jackie said she had a pain in her ribcage, which Mathew said meant he could not move her or call for a taxi to the hospital.
Jackie remained conscious throughout the entire wait. A paramedic arrived at the property at 4pm, followed by an ambulance roughly 30 minutes later.
Mr Hulbert added: "When the first paramedics arrived they couldn't have been kinder or more compassionate towards mum. I understand that it's not them as individuals and they're getting to people as quickly as they can."
Jackie was taken to George Elliot Hospital in Nuneaton, where she died on Tuesday, July 12. She is survived by Mathew and his siblings Debra Dixon and Mark Hulbert and her grandchildren.
Mathew said: "She was an amazing mum and cared deeply for her children and friends. She absolutely adored her grandchildren. She was a very good person."
East Midlands Ambulance Service has sent its condolences to the family. Charlotte Walker, head of operations for Leicestershire, said: "We are deeply sorry that we were unable to get to the patient sooner and we recognise the distress that this will have caused to her and her family."
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