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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Fred Pring died waiting 42 minutes for 999 ambulance | Fred Pring died waiting 42 minutes for 999 ambulance |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man with severe chest pain died after waiting 42 minutes for an ambulance, an inquest has heard. | A man with severe chest pain died after waiting 42 minutes for an ambulance, an inquest has heard. |
| Fred Pring, 74, died at his home in Mynydd Isa, Flintshire, on 21 March 2013, a hearing at Ruthin Coroner's Court was told. | Fred Pring, 74, died at his home in Mynydd Isa, Flintshire, on 21 March 2013, a hearing at Ruthin Coroner's Court was told. |
| His wife Joyce called for an ambulance three times but was told the service was "very busy" in her area. | His wife Joyce called for an ambulance three times but was told the service was "very busy" in her area. |
| On her fourth call she told the operator her husband had died saying "he couldn't take the pain any more". | On her fourth call she told the operator her husband had died saying "he couldn't take the pain any more". |
| The inquest was told ambulance staff had been very busy that night with one member of staff confronted at knifepoint in a dispute on a call before Mrs Pring's. | |
| Mr Pring, who had been receiving treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was crying in pain as his wife phoned for help, the hearing was told. | Mr Pring, who had been receiving treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was crying in pain as his wife phoned for help, the hearing was told. |
| His wife said an ambulance had taken a while to arrive on an earlier occasion and she was worried the same would happen again. | His wife said an ambulance had taken a while to arrive on an earlier occasion and she was worried the same would happen again. |
| On her third call the operator told her an ambulance crew would be there "as soon as they can" and apologised. | On her third call the operator told her an ambulance crew would be there "as soon as they can" and apologised. |
| After that call Mrs Pring told the hearing how her husband's condition got worse. | After that call Mrs Pring told the hearing how her husband's condition got worse. |
| "He just said 'I'm going' and slumped back on the pillow and stopped breathing," she said. | "He just said 'I'm going' and slumped back on the pillow and stopped breathing," she said. |
| Considerable delay | |
| Coroner John Gittins asked Mrs Pring if she wanted him to write a report advising what lessons could be learned from the incident. | Coroner John Gittins asked Mrs Pring if she wanted him to write a report advising what lessons could be learned from the incident. |
| She replied: "I would like to think that but I don't believe it. | |
| "I think that similar incidents will probably happen in future." | |
| A statement read out from a paramedic on duty that night heard staff were constantly on the go with "call after call". | |
| There was considerable delay in handing over one patient at Wrexham Maelor Hospital who was kept waiting 99 minutes, he said. | |
| Ambulance technician Clwyd Richards told the inquest staff were very busy that night and he had been threatened at knifepoint in a dispute over which hospital to take a patient to on the call before Mrs Pring's. |