How we revealed the shocking truth
IN A series of devastating revelations in February, the Mail revealed how the outof-hours service in the South West – which is the worst performing in the country – was mired in chaos.
A whistleblower told how overworked staff including a paramedic were so exhausted they had fallen asleep while they were supposed to be taking urgent calls.
She also revealed that 17year-olds without proper training had been brought in to handle potentially life-ordeath patient calls – allegedly to try to meet targets.
Whistleblower Sarah Hayes – a former manager at the 111 service – bravely decided to speak out after the publication of a damning report into the death of baby William Mead following blunders in his care.
The report into William’s death cited failings at the 111 service run by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
Miss Hayes said she had wanted to speak out about the problems at the service because she felt William’s family had not been told the ‘whole truth.’
Even after William’s death, the staff member who took his mother’s call was never suspended, she revealed. And before his death there had been a string of concerns over that call handler’s performance – which had never been admitted to his family.
Miss Hayes also told how other ‘horrific’ cases where blundering 111 staff caused death or put children at risk have never been made public. It is now known there have been six more ‘serious incidents’ at the same 111 service since William’s death, some of which are still under investigation by regulators. ning the show and needs to have a handle on everything going on beneath him. He clearly does not have that handle.’
She added: ‘The call handlers are on the front line, they are understaffed, under-trained and underpaid. That is not their fault.’
Mr Wenman said: ‘We will not compromise on patient safety, and because we weren’t confident a high-quality, sustainable and safe service could be delivered within the commissioned funds available, we gave one year’s notice on the NHS 111 contract for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, and Devon in March 2015.’