Heart attack victim failed by 999 services

FAI rules Graham was ‘overlooked’ as a dying patient

- RUTH SUTER

An office worker from Stirling who died after waiting 85 minutes for an ambulance following a heart attack was “overlooked” as a patient, a Fatal Accident Inquiry has ruled.

Graham Anderson, 59, was found lying face down on the floor by a colleague at his work CalaChem, in Grangemouth, on May 1, 2020.

An immediate call was made to 999 after Graham was still conscious and breathing but appeared "ashen", "clammy" and with pain in his chest.

However, six more calls were made to 999 from the site before an ambulance eventually arrived 85 minutes later.

There was then a further wait while the crew donned PPE before attending to Graham, who was then in cardiac arrest.

He was formally pronounced dead an hour later.

A Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) into his death found that Graham died after Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) staff failed to notify the Remote Advanced Paramedic (RAP) of his case.

That action would have alerted the RAP of the need to triage Graham as a patient who needed urgent care.