Brisbane Man Dies Waiting for Ambulance: Family Left in Dark About Delays
The family of a 51-year-old man who died waiting for an ambulance in Brisbane is calling for answers after learning about delays in his care through media reports. Health Minister Tim Nicholls has apologized to the family for their distress.
A family's grief has been compounded after they learned about delays in the medical care of their loved one through media reports, rather than being informed directly by authorities. Nick Bradford, 51, called Triple Zero on Saturday evening, reporting chest pains, but paramedics did not arrive until two hours later, at which point he was found dead at his Annerley home.
His brother, Daniel, expressed his distress at learning about the delays through the media, saying it was "heartbreaking" to discover that Nick "didn't get the care that he needed". Daniel questioned why his brother did not receive timely care, adding, "Five days of grieving and asking that question why Nick didn't call for an ambulance when he actually did, and for whatever reason it wasn't there to help him."
Daniel emphasized that his family wants answers, hoping to prevent similar situations in the future: "We just want to know if there was something that could have been done and if so, if that was the case for it to never happen again to somebody's loved one."
Health Minister Apologizes
Health Minister Tim Nicholls acknowledged that he was made aware of Nick's death on Monday but did not publicly address it until Thursday. He stated that the family had reached out after seeing the story in the media and that he understands their distress. "I apologise to them if that has caused them distress," Mr. Nicholls said.
The Minister highlighted the challenges faced in responding to Nick's emergency, noting that the gentleman was not known to Queensland Health and there were no contact details available. He expressed hope that a meeting with the family would help address their concerns.
Opposition Criticism
Opposition leader Steven Miles criticized the government's handling of the situation, attributing the delays to "ramping that is out of control in our Queensland hospitals". He argued that this situation resulted in loss of life and emphasized the importance of transparency and honesty with the victim's family.
Incident Review Ordered
A review of the incident has been ordered, with Mr. Nicholls stating that it is "unacceptable" and expressing hope that it will provide answers and recommendations to improve services. Another incident was reported, where a man in his 80s died waiting for care at the Mater Hospital for approximately three hours.
Mr. Nicholls confirmed that he was notified of the Annerley man's death on Monday and sought further information from the Queensland Ambulance Service. He indicated that the reviews of each death are underway and are expected to be a "fairly rapid process".