Ambulance delay leaves six-year-old boy without his mum
By Suzanne Munroe
An inquest into the death of Gail Bailey has concluded that her death was “wholly preventable”. Gail died when she was 9 weeks pregnant, leaving behind a son and husband. The tragic event occurred while she was on holiday in Ingoldmells with her family.
Gail was suffering from a ruptured – an urgent and potentially life-threatening condition – when her husband contacted emergency services. Delays by the East Midlands Ambulance Service meant that Gail had to wait nearly three hours before being taken to the nearest hospital in Boston.
Sadly, she died shortly after arriving at hospital.
The Lincoln Coroner, Mr Paul Smith, said: “If the ambulance had arrived at the hospital at the time it arrived at the caravan park, on the balance of probability she would have lived.
“It took two 999 calls, four different ambulances and two hours 38 minutes for an ambulance to reach Mrs Bailey.”
East Midlands Ambulance Service have accepted that the care delivered “was not as it should have been”.
Gail’s family have issued the following statement: “We are very upset to hear that Gail would still be alive if the ambulance service had acted promptly. Aaron’s life has been turned upside down since he lost his Mum. We all miss Gail very much.”
Following the conclusion of the inquest, Switalskis Solicitors Clinical Negligence team will be pursuing a claim for compensation on behalf of Gail’s son, Aaron.
Sian Morris, Clinical Negligence Solicitor, said: “The tragic death of Gail Bailey has left a little boy without his Mum. Gail’s family and Aaron’s Dad are working together to make sure his upbringing is as close as possible to what Gail would have wanted. No amount of compensation will ever replace what Aaron has lost.”
For more information on this story, visit:
- “Number of opportunities missed” to save pregnant Kimberworth woman, inquest heard (Rotherham Advertisers, 19th December 2018): https://www.rotherhamadvertiser.co.uk/news/view,number-of-opportunities-missed-to-save-pregnant-kimberworth-woman-inquest-h_30001.htm
- Gail Bailey died after ambulance delay at Ingoldmells site (BBC News, 18th December 2018): https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-46611972
If you have been affected by medical delays, contact our Clinical Negligence department to discuss your concerns. Call 0800 138 0458 or email help@switalskis.com
Suzanne qualified as a solicitor in 1990. She's a Director, Solicitor and Head of our Medical Negligence team.
