Sepsis sufferer unable to call 999 due to no signal

Carol Collins could not call an ambulance and her daughter had to drive until she had signal

A 63-year-old suffering from sepsis could not dial 999 from her house because of the lack of mobile signal.

Carol Collins, from Eastcote, Northamptonshire, started feeling sick following major surgery in October.

Her daughter tried calling 999 off three different phones but the line kept breaking up and she had to travel to another village to call.

O2, the main provider in the area, and Vodafone apologised, citing a fault with a mast.

Ms Collins said it was a "really, really frightening" experience and she has now had a landline fitted.

She said: "My daughter had to get into her car and drive to the next village.

"When she was asked [by the operator] whether she was with the patient, she said, 'no, she's about a mile-and-a-half away because we can't get signal'."

The villages of Eastcote and Pattishall had limited mobile phone signal for four months

An ambulance was eventually sent and after being readmitted to hospital, Ms Collins was diagnosed with sepsis.

"It's obviously a life-threatening condition. If I had had a heart attack or something, I wouldn't have been here because of the poor signal."

Ms Collins also said the lack of signal meant the hospital could not reach her to arrange further treatment and her chemotherapy started late, which "could hinder whether it works or not".

The lack of signal had caused issues for other residents in Eastcote, north of Towcester, and surrounding villages since October, but last week the service was eventually restored.

Chris Rogers, a resident of neighbouring Pattishall, said: "It's a bit like not having water - it's a bit of a shock when you realise how much you rely on it.

"When people ask for your mobile number, you have to tell them there's no point as it doesn't work. They look at you as if you're some kind of Martian."

Chris Rogers said residents were pleased the signal had been restored, but worried the problems would return

An O2 spokesperson said: "We can confirm we have fully restored services for customers in the Pattishall area after our team of engineers replaced some faulty equipment on a nearby phone mast.

"The repair work had initially been delayed due to a nationwide climbing ban and we'd like to thank customers for their patience during this time."

A spokesperson for Vodafone said: "We're sorry to our customers who were affected by intermittent issues with their services."

Landline operators are due to switch every home phone in the UK to an internet-based connection by 2025.

But there have been concerns raised that people in rural locations might be affected by a lack of mobile signal.