Ambulance crew 'stopped for food' as patient died

Peter Coates died in 2019 while waiting for an ambulance

An ambulance crew stopped for sandwiches on the way to a patient who had died by the time they arrived, according to internal documents seen by the BBC.

A review into the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) earlier this year, after accusations by a whistleblower, found one crew was stuck at the station and another stopped for fuel en route to Peter Coates' home near Redcar.

His daughter, Kellie, said it was "outrageous" if the crew had stopped for food.

In a statement, NEAS said there was "was nothing in our investigation" indicating that had happened.

A spokesperson said: “The ambulance crew who attended Mr Coates stopped to refuel on the way and this has been covered in the independent review carried out by Dame Marianne Griffiths.

“There was nothing in our investigation to indicate that the crew stopped to buy a sandwich and this was shared with the family in response to questions they had raised with us."

The review discovered the ambulance that stopped at the petrol station still had half a tank of fuel.

'Holding information back'

The independent review was commissioned to examine five cases highlighted by a whistleblower after claims NEAS had covered up errors by paramedics.

It found information provided to coroners contained inaccuracies and staff were “fearful of speaking up”.

Mr Coates, 62, called 999 in March 2019 when a power cut stopped his oxygen supply working at his Dormanstown home.

The review said an ambulance arrived 36 minutes later.

It found one crew had stopped to refuel en route and another was stuck at the ambulance station three minutes away because the same power cut prevented the gates from opening.

Mr Coates' family, who only discovered what happened from the whistleblower, believe he might still be alive if paramedics had reached him sooner.

Accused by Mr Coates' daughter Kellie at a meeting earlier this month of "still holding information back", NEAS chief executive Helen Ray said: "Everything that we have has been disclosed."

Kellie Coates said NEAS would not admit "it messed up"

However, the BBC has seen internal NEAS documents detailing claims the ambulance crew that reached Mr Coates' home had stopped to get sandwiches.

"More than that, the paramedics were asked to retract that information for fear of losing their jobs," Ms Coates said.

"It's outrageous. It's disgusting."

Ms Coates criticised "the lengths that this organisation is going to to not just be truthful".

The whistleblower, Paul Calvert, a former NEAS coronial officer, said the organisation was still withholding information.

"There's a lot more evidence still that hasn't been heard in relation to that case," he said.

"I know what Helen Ray said in that meeting cannot be found to be true.

"I've seen documents which prove what Helen Ray was saying is completely misleading."

NEAS chief executive Helen Ray said it had disclosed "everything we have"

Middlesbrough MP Andy MacDonald said there was "no alternative other than to have a fully independent public inquiry" if the public was to have trust in the ambulance service.

In its statement, NEAS said it was "sorry for upset and distress we have caused to Mr Coates’ family".

The service said it remained "available to speak to the family at any point should they wish to discuss this concern directly with us”.