Ambulance Victoria reviews Triple-0 call scripts after Stewart Grant’s death
Carol Grant was asked this bizarre question by a triple-0 call taker before her husband tragically died while waiting 40 minutes for an ambulance.
Victoria
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The tragic case of a Victorian man who died while waiting 40 minutes for paramedics has prompted Ambulance Victoria to review its call scripts.
Stewart Grant’s grieving widow Carol told of the horror of watching her husband die in January while waiting for an ambulance that did not come.
“I’m sorry, they’re not coming,” were the haunting final words she said to her husband, who died moments later.
Ms Grant, of Cowes, called triple-0, but an ESTA call-taker did not send an ambulance.
The call-taker said they would have someone call her back and advise what to do, but she replied her husband was having trouble breathing. The call-taker responded: “What do you mean?”
The Herald Sun can reveal Ambulance Victoria will now review its call scripts. It has written a letter of apology to Mr Grant’s family.
“As a result of your feedback, we are now reviewing call scripts to ensure that we responsibly provide triple-0 callers clear and accurate information when they call for help,” its letter said.
It can also be revealed the call scripts were modified in October when Ambulance Victoria requested ESTA make changes following a review by paramedics and doctors.
“The changes also aimed to provide callers realistic expectations in relation to an ambulance response and reduce dissatisfaction with the service and frustration on ambulance arrival,” the letter to the Grant family said.
“It is clear, however, that your experience was very different to what was intended.”
Mr Grant’s daughter, Lisa Hennessy, says she believes her father could have survived.
“If the call script didn’t change and had the ambulance come sooner, I do believe my father would have still been alive,” Ms Hennessy said.
Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said Mr Grant’s death was an “awful tragedy”.
“Our paramedics, ESTA call-takers and dispatchers, everyone who works in the health system, everything they’re doing is to avoid these tragedies,” Mr Hill said.
“Secondary triage (referring non-acute calls to a nurse) is a game-changer when it comes to reducing unnecessary call-outs to low acuity patients, which then frees up ambulances to be able to go out there and save more lives.”
An ESTA spokeswoman said: “Our triple-0 operators care deeply about the service they provide to our Victorian community. Operators are trained to ensure they have all the necessary information to provide the appropriate assistance needed for callers.”
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said: “We have undertaken a thorough review of Mr Grant’s case to better understand exactly what happened, and shared these findings with the family.”
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