A mother of five died from a heart attack after waiting 80 minutes for an ambulance, leaving her husband to perform CPR alone at home. Michelle Roberts, 39, was at home in Bedfordshire when she suddenly experienced a heartburn sensation and a feeling in her throat in October 2024.
After ringing her husband, Ben Roberts, 43, Michelle then contacted 111 to describe her symptoms. Ben got home while Michelle was still speaking to 111 and she was informed at the end of the call that an ambulance would be dispatched. Ben made the children's dinner and went to check on Michelle a short while later and discovered her "slumped and not breathing" on the bed and instantly started CPR.
CPR for nearly an hour
As he attempted to save his wife, he claims he rang 999 to enquire when the ambulance would arrive - but says they couldn't provide him with a time. He kept performing CPR for nearly an hour while blood started to "pour out of her eyes, ears and mouth" as his children looked on in horror. Eventually, an ambulance turned up but it was too late and Michelle was declared dead.
The Integrated Care Board sent a letter to Ben after discovering that there were "handover delays" between 111 and 999. The ICB went on to say that "despite it's best efforts to gain the outcome of their review, the Luton and Dunstable Hospital did not wish to make comment in this outcome letter".
Family's ordeal
Ben, a stay-at-home dad from Bedfordshire, said: "My life has gone downhill since then - I lost my wife. I lost my £96,000-a-year job. I went back to work after two months, and social services got involved and they told me I had to quit my job as I wouldn't be able to care for my kids."
"I'm on universal credit now. I'm on my own with very little help. I'm left with five children and social services won't leave me alone even though I do my best. With the little money I do get I'm using food banks to just about get enough food in the house."
Ben revealed that following the call to 111, neither he nor Michelle fully grasped the gravity of the situation. He said: "We both didn't know the seriousness of it at that point. She told me to get a bag ready for her and she asked me to go and feed the kids as she hadn't been able to get out of bed."
"As I left the room, the last thing she said to me was 'Ben, I'm scared. I came downstairs and left the front door open for the ambulance."
Legal action
Ben has since instructed a solicitor to pursue a claim against the NHS over the delays. He said: "The letter from the ICB said it was classed as a certain type of a response, and it should've been 28 minutes. When the ICB went to find out why, the hospital refused to comment or allow them access to the computer."
"I've lost my wife, lost my job, been diagnosed with PTSD, and if they were here in 20 minutes, she could have survived."
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "Our thoughts remain with Mr Roberts and his family following the death of his wife, Michelle, in October 2024. We recognise that our response on that day fell below the standards patients and their families have a right to expect, and we have apologised to Mr Roberts for this."
"Following a full review by our patient safety team, we have carefully considered the circumstances surrounding this incident and the lessons that can be learned. At the time of the 999 call, the ambulance service was facing significant operational pressures, including delays in transferring patients at local hospitals. However, we recognise the impact that our delayed response had on Mr Roberts and his family."
"We remain committed to learning from incidents such as this and to improving the care we provide. Since October 2024, we have continued to work with hospital partners to reduce handover delays and improved response times to the most serious emergencies."
