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Belfast Man Dies After Critical Ambulance Delay
23 Sep
Summary
- Ambulance call incorrectly categorized as non-emergency.
- Family's multiple calls and efforts failed to speed response.
- Coroner cites delay as material contributor to death.
Lee Gannon, a 25-year-old man from Belfast, died in February 2022 from lobar pneumonia and sepsis after experiencing severe breathing problems at home. His family made an initial 999 call, but it was wrongly classified as a non-emergency. This incorrect categorization, compounded by two further missed opportunities to reassess his deteriorating condition, resulted in a substantial delay.
Paramedics did not reach Gannon for almost four hours after the initial call. The coroner, Marie Dougan, stated that this delay significantly contributed to his premature death by depriving him of timely medical assessment and treatment at the Royal Victoria Hospital. Dougan noted that prolonged ambulance response times and patient handover delays at hospitals are ongoing issues across Northern Ireland.
During the inquest, the family was assured their actions, including multiple emergency calls and performing chest compressions, were appropriate. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service accepted fault and committed to learning from the tragic event. Gannon's mother, Anne, who was devoted to her son, sadly did not survive to hear the inquest findings.
