Ambulance chiefs are forced to apologise after deaths of 23 patients trends now
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Ambulance bosses have apologised over the deaths of 23 people in their care last year amid hospital waits and long response times.
Families of three others were also contacted after ‘unintended or unexpected’ developments left them needing additional treatment.
People were said to have died following issues with control centres, delayed responses and the time spent waiting at hospitals.
The deaths of patients in the care of the ambulance service amid hospital waits and delays is the highest in Scotland for five years
It is the highest number of such cases that the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has had to address in the past five years.
Scottish Conservative health spokesman Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: ‘This rise in unexpected deaths or serious incidents for patients while in the care of ambulance staff is deeply alarming.’
He added: ‘The findings highlight once again the overwhelming pressure our ambulance staff are under and despite their best efforts, how needless – and tragic deaths – can occur, which will be extremely upsetting for dedicated ambulance staff.’
Scottish Conservative shadow health secretary Dr Sandesh Gulhane described the rise in unexpected deaths as ‘deeply alarming’ but said it reflected the overwhelming pressure ambulance crews are under
Health providers, such as the SAS, have a legal duty to tell the patients or relatives affected when an unintended or unexpected incident appears to have caused harm or death as well as apologising and involving them in a
