2 patients died aftertaxi staff attendance

TWO patients died after being attended by cardiac staff travelling in taxis because A&E ambulances were not available in the Western Trust, the Sentinel can reveal.

Last year the Sentinel reported how cardiac staff travelled by taxi to attend people with urgent heart problems on 15 occasions in the Western Trust (WHSCT) in 2010.

Now the Sentinel can reveal that as well as the two deaths, a further patient is known to have been attended by taxi-transported staff after suffering a heart attack.

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The paper originally reported the practice of using taxis to get to patients with potential cardiac conditions where an ambulance may not be immediately available, in January 2011.

But the Western Trust refused to reveal how many of the 15 patients died claiming this information would breach confidentiality with regard to people’s medical condition and treatment.

The Sentinel appealed this decision to the Information Commissioners’ Office (ICO) which has now ordered the Trust to provide the paper with the information requested agreeing that its release was unlikely to identify patients.

Complying with the ICO decision the Trust has advised that in relation to the patients involved the patient outcomes were not as a result of the cardiac team arriving by taxi rather than by ambulance.

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“While Coronary Care teams in the Western Trust hospitals infrequently use taxis to get to patients with potential cardiac conditions, when an ambulance may not be immediately available taxis allow cardiology staff to have rapid transport to the patient.

“The patient is then treated, stabilized and, if required, transported to hospital by ambulance. The patient is not transported to hospital by taxi in these instances,” the spokesperson stated.

Last year the Trust told the paper that of the 15 occasions on which taxis were used in 2010, 4 of the occurrences were in the Northern Sector of the Trust (Londonderry/Limavady/Strabane area) and 11 were in the Southern Sector (Omagh and Fermanagh area).

Former Health Minister Michael McGimpsey - commenting on the practice last year - said it was “consistent with the agreed protocols that ensure patients who require emergency out of hospital cardiac care receive the medical attention they require without delay.”

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“In these circumstances taxis were used to transport clinical staff to the patient. Any patient seen by a cardiac team who then required admission to hospital will have been transported by ambulance,” he stated.

Last week the Sentinel reported how unpaid lay volunteers will soon be the first people to attend some 999 emergencies in Londonderry - including heart attack cases - to provide first aid until the arrival of paramedics.

The ‘First Responder’ scheme - which employs local volunteers trained to attend certain 999 calls -is already up and running in parts of Counties Londonderry, Tyrone, Antrim and Fermanagh.

Now the Health Minister has revealed the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is ready to roll out the scheme in parts of Londonderry.

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