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Ambulance Delay: Woman Dies After 14-Hour Wait
5 Feb
Summary
- Woman died after a 14-hour wait for emergency ambulance services.
- An inquest found neglect contributed to her death due to delayed intervention.
- Coroner issued a report warning of continued risks from ambulance delays.
A woman, Heather Louise Parkhill, aged 39, passed away at her residence following an agonizing 14-hour wait for emergency medical assistance. An initial call was made on April 7, 2025, but the priority was erroneously downgraded.
Despite multiple calls the following morning, no ambulances were available. The case was only escalated to the highest urgency after a final call on April 8, 2026, with a first responder arriving seven minutes later.
An inquest determined Ms. Parkhill's cause of death as Fatty Liver Disease, with neglect contributing due to the lack of timely medical intervention. The coroner stated that a response 20-30 minutes earlier would probably have prevented her death.
In response, the Welsh Ambulance Service expressed condolences and committed to learning from the case, accepting the coroner's findings. They are working with Welsh Government to improve 999 call categorization and reduce hospital handover delays with health boards to increase ambulance availability.
