Wantage
Human error blamed for 999 mistake
Ambulance bosses yesterday said there was nothing wrong with their emergency call system, after an ambulance was sent to the wrong town in a different county for a girl who had collapsed.
South Central Ambulance Service launched an inquiry after the 14-year-old girl passed out in Grove, near Wantage, and stopped breathing while waiting an hour for an ambulance, which was mistakenly routed by the control centre to Grove, in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire.
Yesterday, an ambulance spokesman said the results of the investigation showed a control room call handler was entirely at fault and the service call-handling system and staff training was not to blamed.
The 14-year-old girl had passed out drunk in Mably Way, Grove, near Wantage, in February, and at one stage needed to be resuscitated by a Police Community Support Officer.
The ambulance control room mistakenly gave the case over to Bedfordshire ambulance service, which dispatched one of its paramedic teams.
The ambulance service had previously blamed a member of the public for giving the wrong location but later apologised after tapes showed the correct location - Grove in Oxfordshire - was given.
The spokesman would not comment on any disciplinary action taken against the call-handler.
Wantage MP Ed Vaizey said: "I haven't seen the report and I would like to see it before deciding whether I agree with the ambulance service's conclusion that it's solely human error."
8:51pm Monday 7th April 2008
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CommentPosted by: Tasha, Witney on 8:45am Tue 8 Apr 08
With the huge amount of 999 calls made every day, it is amazing how few problems there are. I think we can allow one mistake as long as the correct investigation is carried out, which it obviously has. Can we move on from this story now Oxford Mail? I know you love 999 bashing, but this is getting dull now.
With the huge amount of 999 calls made every day, it is amazing how few problems there are. I think we can allow one mistake as long as the correct investigation is carried out, which it obviously has. Can we move on from this story now Oxford Mail? I know you love 999 bashing, but this is getting dull now.
Posted by: Andy on 10:52am Tue 8 Apr 08
The thing is, if there were no tapes of the call, they would have got away with it by blaming the public.Has this person been given a warning or has it been brushed under the carpet.
The thing is, if there were no tapes of the call, they would have got away with it by blaming the public.Has this person been given a warning or has it been brushed under the carpet.
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