Woman who watched husband die in front of her speaks of 'anger' after 'begging' for an ambulance

Lesley (left) said her husband of 43 years had been having sporadic discomfort, similar to indigestion, in the days leading up to January 4. Credit: Media Wales

A woman said she was left begging for an ambulance as she watched her husband suffer a heart attack and die in front of her.

Lesley Weekley, 73, called for an ambulance for her 75-year-old husband, Rob Weekley, at their home in Barry five times in two hours on January 4.

When paramedics arrived, Mrs Weekley claimed they told her he would have probably survived the heart attack had they been dispatched following her first call.

The Welsh Ambulance Service said it was sorry to hear about the "distressing incident" and would be investigating.

Lesley called for an ambulance at her home in Barry five times in two hours as her husband suffered a heart attack and died on January 4. Credit: Media Wales

Between 2:18am and 3:32am Mrs Weekley phoned for an ambulance on five occasions as Rob's health quickly began to deteriorate.

By the time they had reached the couple's two-storey flat in Barry it was around 4am. The 73-year-old said: "I think he’d already died by the time they’d reached us.”

Mrs Weekley said her husband of 43 years had been having sporadic discomfort similar to indigestion in the days leading up to January 4.

The night before he died Lesley told her husband (left) she'd be taking him to A&E the next morning. Credit: Media Wales

At 2:10am on January 4, Lesley was awoken by Rob as he asked for indigestion tablets.

“He was clammy, freezing cold, and was incoherent,” the grandmother, who works in an ITU department at University Hospital of Wales, said.

The night before Mrs Weekley told her husband she would be taking him to A&E the next morning but he was reluctant to go due to the long waits.When she first called the ambulance at 2:18am she knew that her husband had all the symptoms for a heart attack and repeated these symptoms to the call handler but was not sure if she used the words 'heart attack'.

She said: “When I first rang 999 they said they had no ambulances available.

"I couldn’t get a pulse, which I was told later by the paramedics was because his blood pressure was so low and his body was shutting down.”

Welsh Ambulance Service workers will stage more walkouts on January 19 and 23. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

After her husband collapsed at 2:36am she contacted the call handler again and was told to give her husband aspirin tablets and call back if things worsened.

“At 2:55am I rang again and told them he had worsened and that while he was breathing his pulse had stopped," Mrs Weekley claimed.

"He told me he was lightheaded and had a tingling sensation. I rang again at 3:11am and said the pulse was still not there, but had the same response."

By the fifth and final call she was begging for an ambulance as her 75-year-old husband stopped breathing.

Despite the heartbreak of her loss, Lesley praised the "brilliant" paramedics who did everything they could when they arrived. Credit: Media Wales

"I started doing CPR as fast as I could, counting with the person on the phone," she said.

“I’m not sure when the paramedics arrived in the end. I think I was performing CPR for around 20 minutes, I was exhausted...I just remember saying: ‘I can’t keep doing it.'"

When the paramedics arrived, the 73-year-old knew it was too late and her husband was gone.

Despite the heartbreak of her loss, she praised the "brilliant" paramedics who did everything they could when they arrived.

Rob Weekley, a retired architect from Rhoose, was a keen musician. Credit: Media Wales

Rob Weekley, a retired architect from Rhoose, was "loved and well-respected" in Barry and further afield - especially in music and rugby circles.

Everywhere Mrs Weekley looks in her home she said she is reminded of the man she married in 1989. Pictures of the couple and their children and grandchildren cover the walls.

“I feel numb,” she said.

“I’ve felt numb ever since it happened. Now I’m starting to get angry about what has happened.

"Rob was an extremely fit man. He’d never needed to go to the GP, he’d never been ill. I feel robbed that he's gone. We hadn't even sorted life insurance for him."

Mrs Weekley's daughters Jo Darrington and Niki Thompson, said they are angry at how Rob died.

They said: “Mum is well aware of the pressures facing the NHS because she sees them every day and spends her time consoling others.

"Our questions are about how it wasn’t recognised that he was suffering a heart attack. The classic symptoms were there...I know the NHS is on its knees, but it can’t carry on like this.”

Liam Williams, executive director of quality and nursing at the Welsh Ambulance Service, said: “We are really sorry to hear about such a distressing incident, and we send our deepest condolences to Mrs Weekley and her family. This is not the service we aim to deliver, and we know that this must have been a very upsetting and traumatic experience for Mrs Weekley.“We will be contacting Mrs Weekley to listen to her concerns, investigate the circumstances of our response to Mr Weekley and answer any questions she may have. The pressures on services across the NHS and social care are well documented.“We recognise that too many patients are having a poor experience of our service, which is something we are extremely concerned about. We are working hard with health board colleagues and Welsh Government to find solutions to long waits in the community for ambulances, but these issues are complex and not easily fixed, dependent as they are on so many elements. In the meantime, we send our sincere condolences to Mrs Weekley and her family and will be in touch with her shortly.”