As victims lay dying, confusion and communication problems hindered the London Ambulance Service's response. Frontline police officers with limited training and equipment battled in vain to save casualties, while medics were barred from entering the terrorist "hot zone" around Borough Market, the Old Bailey heard. Paramedics did not set foot inside the area until almost two hours after the three terrorists who went on a rampage had been shot dead.
Paul Woodrow, London Ambulance Service director of operations, told the inquest the "chaotic" aftermath of the attack had contributed to "confusion" and "issues around communication".
He said: "It hindered our ability, jointly, to get full situational awareness on that situation."
Mr Woodrow said emergency service workers were receiving information covering multiple locations, which some staff "would not have an intimate knowledge of".
He told the hearing: "In the very early stages of these incidents, they really are chaotic. It's just a fact that we do not have an army of people there to filter the information."
He admitted it "took too long" to make a decision to commit specially-trained ambulance intervention teams - made up of ambulance, fire brigade and armed officers - to search for victims.
When questioned by Gareth Patterson QC, who is representing the families of six victims, Mr Woodrow said the delay in entering the area around Southwark Cathedral was because it
