MAN, 64, FELL TO HIS DEATH AFTER 2 CALLS TO 999

‘No available ambulance’ due to delays

A TROUBLED businessman fell to his death from an A500 bridge – after frazzled paramedics were unable to respond to his repeated cries for help.

Nicholas Boulton first called West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) at 10.38pm on December 27 saying he was on a bridge over the A500 and wanted to kill himself.

But no ambulance appeared and the 64-year-old called 999 again at 11.30pm. The next 999 call to the ambulance service – at 12.44am on December 28 – was from Staffordshire Police reporting he had fallen from the bridge and been struck by a Ford Fiesta. He was pronounced dead at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.

The tragedy was this week laid bare at an inquest into Mr Boulton’s death. A final conclusion has been delayed pending the verdict of an Independent Office for Police Conduct report into the police’s contact with Mr Boulton before his death.

The inquest heard Mr Boulton, of Bignall End, had been arrested on Christmas Eve after allegedly punching his partner. He was released on Christmas Day, taken to hospital on Boxing Day, and booked into the Talke Travelodge on December 27.

He had also made distressing calls to 101, the Samaritans, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare, and Staffordshire Police.

In the first ambulance service call, Mr Boulton said: “I want to leap off a bridge. Nobody will believe me, nobody will understand what I have been going through. I am frightened.

“I want to kill myself. If you can send someone to speak to me that will be great.” The operator told him: “We have got help arranged for you. We will be there as soon as we can.”

In a later call, Mr Boulton told the operator he was depressed and wanted to die. He said: “I am going to heaven. So thank you and bye, bye.”

WMAS investigation officer Jane Morris told the inquest: “It was a very busy evening. There were delays at hospital, some over 12 hours. That delayed ambulances dropping off people. We are under extreme pressure. We do not have the resources to manage the demand.”

Following the inquest, a WMAS spokesman said: “We would like to offer our sincere condolences to the patient’s family for their loss.

“The trust received a 999 call from the patient on December 27 at 10.38pm, which was categorised as a C3. A second call was received from the patient at 11.30pm which was also categorised as a C3. Sadly, there were no available ambulances to respond to the patient due to the trust experiencing long handover delays at a number of hospitals.

“The trust received a 999 call from the police the following morning at 12.44am which was categorised as a C1. We arrived on scene within eight minutes. Sadly, the pressures we are seeing in health and social care lead to long hospital handover delays with our crews left caring for patients that need admitting to hospital rather than responding to the next call.

“The result is that our crews are delayed reaching patients.”

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