GRIEVING FAMILY’S FIGHT FOR 999 CALL CHANGE
Ronald lay for 17 hours without help after suffering stroke
A WOMAN whose brother lay dying for more than 17 hours after ringing 999 is fighting for changes to the way emergency calls are handled.
Vulnerable Ronald Russell, 49, was found unconscious in his home more than 17 hours after he called an ambulance when he became ill.
The former landscape gardener, who suffered from mental illness and lived alone, called 999 at 5.45pm last July 4 from his mobile phone.
The first thing the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) call handler – who was following procedures – asked him was to confirm his telephone number.
But Ronald said he couldn’t remember and then collapsed after he went to try to find it. The handler tried to phone back three times with no reply – so passed the case to a supervisor.
But no action was taken to send an ambulance or police to Ronald’s home in Cumbernauld.
It was only after a neighbour heard his alarm clock going off and raised the alarm that he was found at 11am.
He died later that day in hospital. He had suffered a stroke.
The SAS say they have changed their procedures following the case but the family say the changes do not go far enough.
Margo Cassidy, Ronald’s sister, obtained a written transcript of his call – which included the sound of a crash or a fall.
Margo, 52, wants the service’s first question to be the caller’s location rather than their number – which is already shown on the display.
She said: “We don’t understand why the handler couldn’t have looked up Ronald’s address on the system from when he phoned them before when he was ill.”
Margo added: “We don’t want anyone else to suffer like Ronald or for other families to have to go through what we have.” The family received an apology from SAS chief executive Pauline Howie and SAS said actions had “fallen below standards”. Ronald’s other sister Janette Russell, 46, said: “In the transcript, it’s clear there was a crash and that he was groaning. “It’s been very hard grieving for our brother and dealing with all of this at the same time. This is not just for Ronald, it’s for everyone.”
Scottish Tory health spokesman Miles Briggs said: “If operators can see the number someone is calling from, the person should be kept on the line, rather than going to check what their phone number is.
“The correct protocol needs to be put in place so that this never happens again to someone who is vulnerable.”
An SAS spokesman said: “Following a review of the case, we amended our procedures for calls with no confirmed location.
“Call handlers will attempt to return a call three times. If this fails it is passed to a supervisor, who will carry out further location searches.”