Trapped man died while waiting for ambulance

Michael Green told an operator: "I feel like I'm going numb"

A grandfather who got trapped between a table and chair died as he waited for an ambulance.

Michael Green, 74, made two 999 calls after his neck became wedged against the furniture at his home in Leicester in September.

Despite his distressed state, relatives said, it took crews nearly 90 minutes to respond, by which time he was dead.

Ambulance bosses said the calls were correctly handled but Mr Green's family said they will go to the ombudsman.

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Mr Green suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and pancreatitis.

In recordings released to his family by East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), Mr Green can be heard groaning with pain in the first call.

When told an ambulance may take four hours, he responds: "Oh dear, the trouble is me neck's going dead with being stuck on the chair, I think I need somebody quick."

He told the call handler he had already been stuck for about five hours.

Julie Green (right) said her father was clearly stressed at the time of the call

In a second call, 40 minutes later, he tells a different operator during the course of the call: "I feel like I'm going numb.

"I've changed now... I'm not right... I'm passing out."

An ambulance arrived nearly an hour-and-a-half after the first call. They found Mr Green unconscious and attempts at resuscitation were unsuccessful.

His call had been classified as category three - urgent but not an emergency or life-threatening.

His daughter Julie Green said: "It's very distressing to hear those calls. He was a strong character, I didn't expect him to die and really I want answers.

"He was clearly stressed, he was trapped and the bottom line is I've lost my dad and it's hard to move on."

A spokesman for EMAS said they were saddened by Mr Green's death but, with the information they had at the time, said the call was categorised correctly.