Downton man dies after waiting 13 hours for an ambulance

Ray 'Sam' Easterbrook's family called 999 for an ambulance at 5.38pm on Monday December 12 after he fell ill with stomach pains at the weekend.

Sam's brother Robert Easterbrook stayed with him to wait for an ambulance as his condition worsened.

A couple of hours passed with "no sign of an ambulance" so family members tried to drive Sam to the hospital themselves. 

However, by this time he was weaker and when they got him out of bed, he collapsed.

Sister Vivienne Oxford said: "With the freezing weather, they decided driving Sam to the hospital was not a viable option.

"After a while he slept and my brother was pleased he was getting rest."

When Robert checked on Sam on Tuesday morning (December 13) he had passed away.

An ambulance arrived on the scene at 5.54am.

Left: Ray 'Sam' Easterbrook. Right: Michael Easterbrook. (Image: Michael Easterbrook)

Vivienne added: "My family strongly believe that had the ambulance arrived closer to the time it was called, he would still be here with us."

Sam was a well-known, otherwise fit man who "cycled miles every day" after retiring as a village postman.

We have lost our dear brother and we are heartbroken. We do not want others to go through what we are now. 

"He should be here with us, opening the presents that are already wrapped for him. Instead, we are planning his funeral," added Vivienne.

A South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust spokesperson said: “We are sorry that we were unable to provide a timely response to Mr Easterbrook and we would like to offer our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.

"Our ambulance clinicians strive every day to deliver their best care for patients, but our performance has not returned to pre-pandemic levels, partly due to handover delays at emergency departments.

“Health and social care services are under enormous pressure. We are working with our partners in the NHS and social care, to do all we can to improve the service that patients receive.”

Hundreds of messages have poured in from friends and family about Sam and Vivienne said she only wishes he had "known how popular he was".

'Devastating ruination of our NHS'

Vivienne is now calling upon the government to act now and address the "devastating ruination of our NHS".

This incident was not impacted by NHS ambulance strike action, which starts on Wednesday December 21.

Read more: More than 10,000 NHS ambulance workers to strike in December

Another of Sam's brothers, Brian Easterbrook, told the Journal he has requested a full investigation into what happened.

He said: "The family needs answers so we can put Sam to rest. We need to know what went wrong so it doesn’t go wrong for other people.

"Sam was a unique guy, a one-off. Everyone who knew him will know about his quirky ways and lust for life."

Salisbury MP John Glen said: "I obviously do not support or condone action that puts patient safety at risk, and it is dreadful to hear of individual tragedies, when incorrect judgements on clinical urgency are made.

"The NHS is in constant negotiations with unions to determine the minimum level of emergency cover that must be provided where there is risk to life.

"NHS England have put in place a number of measures this month including engaging with the Ministry of Defence on military support.

"With regard to NHS strike action, it is important to note that public sector pay is determined by independent pay review bodies made up of industry experts who take into account union views.

"We know these are very challenging times for everyone, but the independent pay bodies have given fair pay settlements that strike a careful balance between recognising the vital importance of public sector workers while not further fuelling inflationary pressures that affect us all."

Editors note: This incident took place before any ambulance workers were on strike.