Heart attack victim refused an ambulance because 'he was not fully unconscious'

10 November 2023 , 10:35

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David and Manjit Williams have been together for nearly 34 years (Image: No credit)

The wife of a lorry driver who suffered a heart attack was told an NHS ambulance couldn't be sent to him - because her husband wasn't 'fully unconscious'.

David Williams, 56, was 'drifting in and out of consciousness' when his wife Manjit called 999 from their Leyland home. They ended up having to take a taxi to the hospital.

At the hospital, David had to wait 44 hours for a bed. David, who had a stroke in 2021, was a healthy HGV Class 1 driver who worked throughout the pandemic. His health worsened after the stroke, leading Manjit, 51, to install a lifeline alarm at home.

Manjit had to use the alarm when David had a heart attack - but did not get the kind of quick response she hoped for. She told Lancs Live: "I was told to ring an ambulance myself," she said. "Me being on my own, with it just being my husband I was absolutely beside myself."

Manjit then called an ambulance from the kitchen, and broke down in tears. After composing herself, she explained that David was drifting in and out of consciousness. She was then told that he would not be given an ambulance because he was awake. Manjit told the newspaper: "We were told they weren't sending an ambulance because he wasn't completely unconscious because he was awake. I said, what do I do now? Because I'm not medically sound, I don't know what's going on - and they sent a taxi for him. I had to put him in a taxi and hold on to him, whilst this taxi driver's whizzing down the road."

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However, she described the "most humiliating part" of his experience as when they arrived at A&E, where he had wait 44 hours for a bed. Manjit added: "He stayed overnight and the next day, he was told by a doctor that it was the pills that are causing it"

Two months before, David was rushed to see a neurologist who did tests and found out he now has vascular Parkinson's disease. In February 2023, tests showed damage to his brain and that David's condition won't get better and will likely turn into vascular dementia. "Dementia is the word that's being flung around at the moment," David said. "I don't like it."

Manjit says her husband of 23 years has lost his memory, which she finds "heartbreaking". She added: "Things like, he doesn't remember where we met. He doesn't remember our wedding day, he doesn't remember a lot of things. It's got to a point where I've got to say, it's OK, they're my memories now."

David can't move around much, and is now stuck at home because of his complex needs. Manjit arranged for an assessment which suggested a stairlift should be put in their home, as well as a wet room. The couple applied for a Disability Funding Grant to help install these facilities, but were turned down. In a final effort, they've set up a GoFundMe page to raise £8,000 for a stairlift and wet room to help David be more independent.

"He does struggle, unfortunately David struggles to wash so I have to wash him all of the time," Manjit added. "So a wet room would just be a Godsend for us."

Despite their challenges, the couple told LancsLive they try to keep positive and maintain their sharp sense of humour. "If you don't laugh, you'll cry," said David. The couple agree that they "wouldn't wish this life on their worst enemy," but thankfully they have each other's support during the tough times.

Councillor Paul Foster, Leader of South Ribble Borough Council stated "We assess our applications for the Disabled Facilities Grant in line with standard UK guidance. We completely understand the frustrations about the process, but we have to work to the means test guidance set nationally."

"We're more than happy to work with households in other ways like through our community and partner led initiatives - to help access other support."

An North West Ambulance Service spokesperson commented: "We are sorry to hear about Mr Williams's health issues, and we wish him well in his rehabilitation and recovery. We invite him or his wife to contact our patient safety team, who will look into the incident and report back to them with their findings."

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