Serious incident review’ into woman’s death while waiting 45 minutes for ambulance

A Serious Incident Review is to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in Newry who died while waiting for an ambulance.

She was Jody Keenan from the Newry area.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service earlier apologised to her family and friends.

On Monday afternoon, NIAS confirmed that ambulances from Belfast and Banbridge were dispatched.

The vehicle from Banbridge arrived at 04:03, 48 minutes after the 999 call was made. The ambulance from Belfast arrived at 04:15.

The woman collapsed while she was out with her friends.

A NIAS spokesperson said: "NIAS regrets that, on the evening of Saturday 9 April, levels of ambulance cover fell below those which had been planned and anticipated, with the Southern Division particularly impacted.

"The planned level of resource in Southern Division on Saturday night is 10. On Saturday night only three crews were available at the commencement of the shift and this was further depleted by one due to onset of illness.

"Both remaining crews were not available to respond as they were waiting to handover patients at Craigavon emergency department.

"As NIAS manages the service on a regional basis with the closest available ambulance responding to the next most clinically urgent call, crews from other divisions will have responded to calls in the Southern division."

The spokesperson added: "NIAS had three A&E support crews and one Independent ambulance crew available to complement the emergency crews.

"A&E support and independent crews are dispatched to lower acuity calls to protect the A&E resource for the most serious and urgent waiting calls.

"NIAS would further apologise to all patients and their carers for any delays experienced as a result of reduced cover."