Unacceptable
Swinney says sorry to family of man who died in close after 5-hour wait for ambulance
DEPUTY First Minister John Swinney yesterday apologised to the family of the man who died on a tenement stair after waiting five hours for an ambulance, calling it was “unacceptable”. Earlier this week, we told how Richard Brown, 55, died alone in his Glasgow tenement building even though his neighbour had repeatedly called for an ambulance. At First Minister’s Questions yesterday, Swinney said: “I want to express my sympathy to Mr Brown’s family because Mr Brown should not have had the experience that he had and I am very sorry Mr Brown’s family are enduring the added agony that they are having to endure in addition to the loss of Mr Brown.” H e said an investigation into the delay had been launched, adding he was aware of the “enormous pressure” placed on the ambulance service and blamed Covid for the level of demand on the healthcare system. He said the Government had provided an extra £20million to support Scottish Ambulance
Service staff and said staff recruitment was under way. Labour leader Anas Sarwar had hit out over our story, telling MSPs: “Our NHS is in crisis. Mr Brown is not the first avoidable death this winter and if action isn’t taken, he will not be the last.
“People are dying, not because we don’t have the treatments to help them but because help isn’t coming fast enough and even when an ambulance does arrive, people are waiting for hours outside hospitals waiting to be seen.”
Sarwar also raised a survery of ambulance staff by the Unite trade union, reported in the Record, that showed many are at breaking point,
Swinney said: “I have seen the survey evidence and I am troubled by it. I want the staff to feel valued.”
Responding to the ambulance staff survey, SAS said: “We are aware of the current demands our hardworking staff are experiencing due to the continuing national emergency and unprecedented pressures on NHS Scotland health and care services.
“As well as the safety of our patients, the welfare and well-being of our workforce is a top priority. We have accelerated recruitment of new staff in order to provide additional front-line staff, with 210 recruited and trained over the last six months and 356 more paramedics, technicians and ambulance care assistants set to be employed over winter and into early spring. Investment in new ambulances and other vehicles also continues at pace.
“We are continuing to work with health board partners to address the long waiting and turnaround times at hospitals, recognising the impact these have on our staff meal breaks and shift end times and patients. We have increased the provision of snacks, hot drinks and refreshments to staff when they are waiting at hospitals and will continue to do everything we can to support their well-being.”