Investigation and inquest
On 4th July 2022 I commenced an investigation into the death of Patricia Grace Eileen Green. The investigation concluded on the 11th January 2023 and the conclusion was one of Narrative: Died from Covid 19 pneumonia contributed to by a fall with a prolonged long lie following the fall. The medical cause of death was 1a) COVID-19 Pneumonia on a background of a fall with a long lie; II) Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Ischaemic Heart Disease, Frailty, Acute Renal Failure.
Circumstances of the death
Patricia Grace Eileen Green had an accidental fall at her home address. She fell in such a way that she was left in a prone position on the floor. An ambulance was called. There was a 9 hour wait for the ambulance due to the demands on the ambulance service. She remained prone on the floor during the wait. She deteriorated particularly in relation to her breathing whilst waiting for an ambulance .She was unable to access toilet facilities whilst waiting for an ambulance On arrival at Tameside General Hospital, she was seen by a doctor after a 3 hour wait. She was found to have Covid 19 pneumonia. She continued to deteriorate and died at Tameside General Hospital on 30th June 2022.
Coroner’s concerns
1. Mrs Green had a long wait for an ambulance, despite her age and the recognised risks of being on the floor for a prolonged period of time, due to a shortage of ambulances. Mrs Green deteriorated whilst waiting to be taken to hospital. The Inquest heard that the shortage of ambulances was due to a number of factors including high demand and a shortage of crews due to long delays at Emergency Departments (ED) across the Greater Manchester to offload patients;
2. The evidence before the Inquest was that the delay on the day Mrs Green was waiting for an ambulance was not unusual and still remained the case on the day of the Inquest;
3. The Inquest heard that Mrs Green’s wait of 3 hours in ED was not unusual and was due to the volume of patients waiting to be seen and the overall demand on ED. The consequence was that elderly frail patients were receiving treatment that was delayed and in circumstances that were challenging for frail patients.