Former Army Officer Died After Five-Hour Wait in Ambulance as There Was No Bed Available for Him

Outline:

  1. Introduction

    • Former senior Army officer Col John Codd's death after a lengthy wait in an ambulance.
    • Details of the incident and the inquest hearing.

  2. Incident Details

    • Col Codd's fall outside a nursing home.
    • Delays in ambulance arrival and hospital admission.
    • Medical examinations and procedures during the wait.

  3. Medical Findings and Delays

    • Post-mortem findings and cause of death.
    • Systemic delays highlighted by the inquest.

  4. Coroner's Concerns and Recommendations

    • Coroner Andrew Cox's narrative conclusion.
    • Plans to write to the health secretary.
    • Comments from Dr. Aaron Green on systemic issues.

  5. Systemic Issues and Ongoing Problems

    • Ongoing delays in the healthcare system.
    • Impact on emergency departments and patient flow.

  6. Conclusion

    • Summary of the issues and the need for systemic change.

Article:

Introduction

A former senior Army officer, Col John Codd, tragically died after waiting for nearly five hours in the back of an ambulance outside the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, due to a lack of available beds. The incident, which occurred on January 16 this year, was detailed during an inquest at Cornwall Coroner’s Court.

Incident Details

Col Codd, aged 88, suffered a fall as he exited a taxi returning him to a nursing home in St Austell. The ambulance arrived more than two hours later, at 2.49pm, after he had been lying on the ground covered in blankets since 12.30pm. Upon arrival at the hospital at 4.30pm, Col Codd was not admitted until 9.11pm, well beyond the 15-minute ambulance handover target. During this time, he was taken in and out of the hospital for various checks, including triage by a nurse at 5.47pm, examination by a consultant at 6.10pm, and a CT scan ordered by a junior doctor at 8pm.

Medical Findings and Delays

A post-mortem examination revealed that Col Codd had suffered a fracture to the cup of his right femur and developed a rare rectus sheath haematoma from the fall, which was the cause of his death. The inquest highlighted significant delays in the healthcare system, particularly in Cornwall, where such issues have persisted for years.

Coroner's Concerns and Recommendations

Senior Cornwall coroner Andrew Cox recorded a narrative conclusion and expressed his intention to write to the health secretary to raise concerns about the systemic delays. Dr. Aaron Green, an emergency department consultant at the trust, stated that if the system had been functioning optimally, Col Codd would have been seen by a doctor within an hour, potentially leading to an earlier diagnosis and treatment.

Systemic Issues and Ongoing Problems

Dr. Green noted that delays in admitting patients are an ongoing problem across many departments, particularly in Cornwall. The inquest heard that over six months leading up to January, delays in admitting patients at the hospital totaled 24,000 hours, equivalent to shutting 32 emergency department cubicles for a whole month. The coroner emphasized that the issue lies not with the ambulance or hospital trusts but is a systemic problem affecting the entire healthcare system.

Conclusion

The tragic death of Col John Codd underscores the urgent need for systemic changes to address the ongoing delays in the healthcare system. The inquest's findings highlight the critical importance of improving patient flow and ensuring timely access to medical care, to prevent such heartbreaking outcomes in the future.

This article aims to bring attention to the systemic issues within the healthcare system, particularly in Cornwall, and the urgent need for reform to ensure timely and effective medical care for all patients.

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