NHS delays denied dad 'chance to fight for life'

Ex-councillor's family condemn staffing failures at hospital

- NICK HORNER News Reporter

A FORMER Birmingham councillor who died after delays at Birmingham hospitals was denied the chance to fight for his life, his grieving family said.

Andrew Nicholls, a father-of-four and grandfather-of-seven, was just 63 when he died at Heartlands Hospital in April last year following delays at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield.

His son James said his father's chance of survival had been “taken away” from him after he suffered a heart attack.

Mr Nicholls served as a councillor for Sparkbrook from 1995 to 2003.

“We never got to say goodbye,” James said. “We will never know, had his care been correct, whether he would have survived or not.”

Mr Nicholls, from Great Barr, went to Good Hope after feeling unwell on Monday, April 29, 2024.

He arrived at 4.48pm at A&E by car after an ambulance delay, was triaged at 5.33pm and said he had been feeling unwell since 3pm and with headaches since 2pm. He had also been suffering from back pain but had not reported any chest pain.

Mr Nicholls was seen by a doctor at 5.45pm, who thought he had pneumonia but called for blood tests, an electrocardiogram (ECG) to check the heart, a chest X-ray and some pain relief.