Great-grandma, 91, with a broken pelvis, bleeding on brain, was refused ambulance — but Jacinta Allan said her care was ‘excellent’

The daughter of a 91-year-old woman who was forced to make her own way to hospital with a broken pelvis and bleeding on the brain after a fall has branded the government’s defence of her treatment as “absolutely disgusting”.

Lois Casboult was assessed as being ineligible for an ambulance after a horror fall.

Premier Jacinta Allan has come under fire for dismissing the concerns of the family of a 91-year-old woman forced to make her own way to hospital after a horror fall.

Ms Allan on Thursday defended healthcare workers after the Herald Sun revealed Lois Casboult was denied an ambulance trip despite suffering a broken pelvis and bleeding on the brain in the fall at her Drouin home on Sunday.

She said she was confident Mrs Casboult “received excellent quality care.”

But Mrs Casboult’s daughter, Janne McFadyen, said the comments lacked empathy and ignored the serious issue about why her mum was denied the nine minute drive to the nearby Warragul Hospital.

Photos of Mrs Casboult’s injuries, taken less than two hours after the fall, show shocking injuries and bruising.

Lois, 91, was refused an ambulance after a horror fall at her Drouin home. Picture: Supplied

That was despite suffering a broken pelvis and bleeding on the brain. Picture: Supplied

The government has rejected calls for a full-scale investigation into the incident.

“I’m pretty angry with the Premier and the Health Minister,” Mrs McFadyen said.

“I’d like to have a talk to them and tell them what I think of them. It’s absolutely disgusting. But it doesn’t surprise me at all. The state of Victoria is in a mess.

“Without your health you have nothing so it should be a priority, much more than a tunnel.”

Paramedics arrived to treat Mrs Casboult, but after consulting with an online doctor were told she should make her way privately to hospital.

The case, first revealed by the Herald Sun on Thursday, sparked public outcry and demands for a full-scale investigation by the state Opposition.

But Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas said she was confident in the response to Ms Casboult’s shocking injuries.

“The decision about whether or not to transport a patient is one that is made by highly experienced, qualified clinicians,” she said.

Ms Thomas was asked if a review was needed into the response, but said she was confident in the advice she had received.

“The advice that I have is that both Ambulance Victoria and the Virtual Emergency Department have had an examination of the case notes and are confident that those have been dealt with appropriately,” she said.

Doctors were reportedly ‘horrified’ that Lois wasn’t transported by ambulance. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Ambulance Victoria denied claims made by Mrs McFadyen that paramedics advised her resourcing issues were behind their inability to take her to hospital.

But local MP, Wayne Farnham, said resourcing issues had long plagued the area.

He raised the issue in May last year, calling for funding for a new ambulance for the Drouin ambulance branch.

“This station is currently staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but they have inadequate equipment to respond to the ever-increasing number of call-outs they are receiving,” he said at the time.

“I urge the minister to hear the calls of the local officers and the community and respond as quickly as possible to this request.”

Mr Farnham said there had been no change in resourcing.

“Our health system is broken and even more broken in regional Victoria,” he said.

“My job as an MP is to listen to my constituents and take those concerns to the relevant minister.

“When I asked the minister for extra ambulances and she buries her head in the sand, then this state has a problem.”

Minister for Health Mary-Anne Thomas said she was confident in the response to Ms Casboult’s shocking injuries. Picture: Valeriu Campan

Shadow health spokeswoman, Georgie Crozier, said Ms Thomas should “hang her head in shame for not being responsible or taking any accountability” over the incident.

“The minister should reflect on what she’s overseeing in the health system. Stop the blame game,” she said.

“And quite frankly, I don’t think she’s capable of fixing just how broken this bloody system is.”

Mrs McFadyen said she agreed to take her mum to hospital following the consultation but only because she was told an ambulance was not available.

She said despite pleading for paramedics to take her, she was told it wouldn’t guarantee she would be seen any faster.

However, a Victorian Virtual Emergency Department spokesman said appropriate clinical care and advice, were provided throughout her assessment.

“Following a comprehensive review by an emergency physician from the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department (VVED), it was determined that the patient should attend the Emergency Department for further assessment,” she said.

“Options for transportation were discussed and a decision was made to transport the patient by private transport.

“The VVED is committed to ensuring safe, timely, and patient-centred care in every situation.”

The case has reignited concerns about the state of Victoria’s health system amid ongoing resourcing and capacity issues.

How the Herald Sun broke the story.

Latest health data, published last month, revealed emergency departments continued to face “sustained pressure”, despite millions of dollars in post-Covid funding.

The public healthcare system was also still plagued by “workforce challenges and staffing issues impacting service delivery”, the department’s latest annual report said.

More than a quarter – 28.4 per cent – of public emergency department patients were also not treated within the clinically recommended time, above the maximum target of 20 per cent.

The public system once again missed its target regarding ambulance ramping times, but said it was the best result since the 2021 winter.

Ambulance response times were also below target, with a third of urgent Code 1 patients waiting more than 15 minutes.

The target is to have no more than 15 per cent wait this long.

Shadow Health Minister Georgie Crozier said the case proved “Victoria’s health system is clearly broken when elderly Victorians in need of emergency care are being ­denied access”.

“This is a shocking example of just how broken Victoria’s health system is.”

Originally published as Great-grandma, 91, with a broken pelvis, bleeding on brain, was refused ambulance — but Jacinta Allan said her care was ‘excellent’