Man dies after 30 minute wait for ambulance

A man who took ill at a work reunion less than a mile from a county hospital but who had to wait 30 minutes for an ambulance later died in hospital.

The man was enjoying meeting old colleagues at a staff reunion of the defunct Navan Carpets when he became unwell at the function in the Newgrange Hotel in Navan, Co Meath, at about 11pm last Friday.

Former colleagues performed first aid on the man, who was in his 70s, while they waited for a response from emergency services.

Friends were angered as Our Lady’s Hospital is less than a five-minute drive from the venue, according to work colleague and former Sinn Féin councillor Michael Gallagher.

An emergency response car was first to arrive at the scene at 11.23pm, followed by an ambulance eight minutes later, according to the HSE. It is understood the man was taken to Navan Hospital and transferred to the Mater Hospital in Dublin, where he died.

Mr Gallagher said he would be taking the matter up with both his party’s local TD, Peadar Tóibín, and spokesman for health, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin.

“The deceased had been talking and laughing with old faces at the reunion when he suddenly took ill,” said Mr Gallagher. “It’s a disgrace that it took an ambulance over half an hour to get here when the hospital is only up the road. It’s not exactly a remote area.

“There was a lot of anger from people that night at the delay in the ambulance arriving. Thirty-five years ago, there was a far better ambulance and ED service in the town, and things are meant to be better now?”

Councillor and member of the Regional Health Forum Nick Killian has called for an investigation into the incident, and a number of others he claims have occurred in the county.

In a statement, the HSE National Ambulance Service said it “extends it deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased”.

It said: “The HSE National Ambulance Service can confirm that a 999/112 call was received at 23.01 on Friday 25th October from Newgrange Hotel, Navan, Co Meath.

“The call was clinically triaged and pre-arrival advice was given to the caller. An Emergency Ambulance and Rapid Response Vehicle were dispatched to the scene. The first emergency vehicle arrived on scene at 23.23. The emergency ambulance arrived on scene at 23.31. The patient was taken to the appropriate hospital in the region.

“The National Ambulance Service works on an area and regional basis.

“The dynamic nature of our service means we are tasked with deploying and redeploying resources on an as needs basis. Activity levels within the region vary greatly from hour to hour and day to day and the resource levels are constantly monitored and tactically deployed accordingly. ”