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Stroke Survivor's 999 Call Blocked by BT Digital Switchover
28 Jan
Summary
- A 75-year-old stroke patient lost phone service during a digital upgrade.
- The lack of landline prevented the man from calling emergency services.
- The incident highlights risks associated with the UK's digital phone transition.
A 75-year-old stroke patient, Graham Chapman, faced a critical emergency when his BT landline was disconnected during a fibre broadband upgrade. He and his wife, Jan, were without a functioning phone for two weeks. This outage critically prevented Mr. Chapman from calling 999 when he suffered a stroke.
They were eventually able to call for an ambulance using a mobile phone. Mr. Chapman spent a week in Princess Royal Hospital. His wife described the stress of resolving the phone issue as more concerning than the stroke itself.
The incident underscores worries about the UK's nationwide landline digital switchover, which replaces traditional copper wires with internet-based connections. Concerns have been raised by MPs about the safety risks for residents, especially those in rural areas, if the migration is not managed carefully.
BT has apologized, restored the Chapmans' service, and confirmed they will receive compensation. They stated the issue arose from a record mismatch after a fibre broadband order was cancelled, preventing engineers from completing the connection.
