Ill baby was left waiting for ambulance to arrive

Ill baby was left waiting for ambulance to arrive

14 January 2015

A BABY girl who suffered a heart attack in Downpatrick had to wait around 40 minutes for an ambulance to be transported to hospital, it has been claimed.

It is understood the six-month baby was with her mother at a 

GP surgery at the Downe Hospital on Wednesday afternoon of last week when she suffered a cardiac arrest.

While an emergency call was made to the Ambulance Service, theatre staff at the hospital able to stabilise the baby and move her to the Downe’s emergency department where staff stayed with her until a rapid response paramedic arrived.

The paramedic stayed with the baby and hospital staff until the ambulance arrived from Lisburn. There were no local crews available in the Downpatrick area to answer the 999 call.

A spokesman for the Ambulance Service confirmed it has been made aware of an issue relating to an emergency call in Downpatrick on Wednesday of last week and 

in particular the despatch of a rapid response paramedic to the call.

The spokesman said a call was received from a GP surgery at the Downe Hospital shortly before 4pm, with the details passed to ambulance control indicating that a baby was in respiratory distress which later deteriorated to cardiac arrest.

“The Ambulance Service immediately despatched the nearest A&E vehicle which on this occasion — due to local crews being engaged on other calls — came from Lisburn,” he continued.

“The Ambulance Service also despatched a rapid response paramedic to the surgery who arrived in advance of the conveyancing vehicle. The patient was brought to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.”

A spokeswoman for the South Eastern Trust confirmed staff at the Downe’s emergency department assisted with the baby until the ambulance service arrived to transport the child to the Royal Victoria.