harrowing incident, Angela Hood found herself navigating the streets in her slippers, rushing her choking nine-year-old daughter, Katie, to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. Angela, a full-time carer, expressed her fear that Katie might not survive the journey due to the unavailability of ambulances.
Katie, non-verbal with global developmental delay, relies on a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy [PEG] feeding tube following a previous battle with an aggressive Medulloblastoma tumor. Angela, 48, detailed the alarming situation, stating, “I think it’s disgusting that I had to wait two hours. She could have died in that car.”
The distressing event unfolded when Katie’s skin started turning grey, indicative of insufficient oxygen in the blood. Angela, concerned for her daughter’s life, dialed 999, only to be informed of a two-hour wait due to high demand. Fearing the worst, Angela decided to transport Katie to the hospital herself, administering emergency care during the drive.
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Once at the hospital, doctors diagnosed Katie with a chest infection, attributing her distress to an unsafe swallow caused by the PEG. Angela emphasized the gravity of the situation, lamenting, “Katie could have died in a car because of government funding, and I do blame the government.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service acknowledged the strain on their resources, citing long handover delays at hospitals. The spokesperson clarified that during Angela’s call, she was advised to self-transport, given the potential delay in ambulance response time. The decision to inform the public about potential delays was defended as a necessary measure amid increased pressure on emergency services.
