Mike Jones, 69, from Bury, was left terrified he would die alone after alleged failures by his assisted living provider and care link operator delayed an ambulance for over an hour, his family claims. He suffered severe blood loss and a cardiac arrest.
Care alarm call and alleged failures
Mr Jones pressed his care alarm at around 6am on Sunday, July 26, after cutting his leg badly. His daughter, who asked not to be named, claims the call handler requested an ambulance but failed to pass on that he was on blood thinners, and did not alert the family immediately.
Thirty minutes later, he pressed the button again to ask where the ambulance was. The call handler allegedly hung up on him, saying he was being 'irate'. At around 6.40am, his daughter was alerted and claims the Tunstall operative asked for medical information she believes the company should have had and should have already passed to the ambulance service.
Delayed access to the flat
When help arrived at around 7am, Mr Jones had been bleeding for more than an hour and was drifting in and out of consciousness. The ambulance crew could not reach him because the front door to his block had been changed, and the new visitors fob had not been supplied, nor had the updated code been provided to emergency services.
As paramedics and family tried to reach him, they could hear him calling for help. Over 10 minutes, his shouting became quieter as he drifted in and out of consciousness. Eventually, a neighbour was woken and let them in.
Impact on Mr Jones and family
Mr Jones, who is still in hospital, said he felt 'completely ignored' throughout his ordeal. He said: "The call handlers didn’t listen, didn’t take me seriously, and didn’t take the action that should have protected me. I felt utterly alone, and when help finally arrived, the paramedics couldn’t even get into the building because they were unable to gain access."
His flat 'looked like a crime scene', his daughter said. She added: "My mum passed away when I was 21. It's just been 18 years since I lost my mum. We could have lost him, myself and my sister could have been orphaned."
Responses from providers
A spokesman for Muir said: "Everybody at Muir wishes Mr Jones a healthy and speedy recovery. We’re working with him and his family to support his comfortable return to his home."
Mark Hindle, Managing Director at Tunstall Healthcare UK, said: "We understand how difficult this experience has been for all involved. At Tunstall, the wellbeing of carers and their loved ones is of utmost importance to us and we continue to support the service commissioner."
