Province orders review after Annapolis Valley man dies awaiting ambulance

Health Minister Randy Delorey has ordered a review of the case of an Annapolis Valley man who died in hospital while waiting for an ambulance transfer.

David Benedict died in Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Middleton, N.S., earlier this month from a brain bleed while he was waiting to be taken to Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville for a CT scan and lumbar puncture.

The doctor working that night ordered the tests after suspecting Benedict had a brain infection, but the transfer was delayed by three hours and Benedict lost consciousness while he waited.

His wife, Karla Dehmel, shared the story with CBC News.

"I can only imagine what the family is feeling," Delorey said in a statement Monday.

"I understand they have questions, and I have as well. That is why I am asking Nova Scotia Health Authority and Emergency Health Services to conduct a joint review."

Dehmel said she was pleased by the news and would await the outcome.

Officials with Emergency Health Services have said a high volume of emergency calls on the night Benedict was in hospital meant non-emergency transfers were delayed.

While ambulances might be moved on a priority basis, Delorey said "there should be an ambulance available when one is needed."

On Monday, Jeff Fraser, the director of provincial services for EHS, said he feels for Benedict's family and has a lot of compassion for the situation, but hopes people don't lose faith in the ambulance system.

"[People] need to call. We will get to you."

Fraser said staffing remains a challenge on a daily basis as EHS handles an average of 550 calls a day.

Situations can be further complicated by ambulances being tied up waiting to drop off patients, or having to be diverted to a site farther away when an emergency department is closed, he said.

'It's the worst possible outcome'

Opposition party leaders said Benedict's death should be a wake-up call to the government that systemic problems in health care have reached a critical point.

"It's the worst possible outcome and I think when you have the worst possible health outcomes it's time for the government to really take notice and really look at how they're delivering service or not," said Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Houston.

Houston said the government must look at modernizing the ambulance service in the province. He wondered if it's time to consider separate and dedicated services for transfers and emergencies, something that exists in some parts of the province, but not everywhere.

Paramedics share with him on almost a daily basis how desperate the situation has become, said Houston.

NDP Leader Gary Burrill said the problem of ambulance availability isn't new and shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

"Paramedics have been speaking about this problem for a long time," he said.

System review still not complete

The issue speaks to a larger systemic problem, said Burrill.

He said ambulances are delayed dropping off patients when there isn't a bed available for that patient, and beds often aren't available because they're tied up by people who don't need acute care, but are waiting for a placement somewhere else, such as a long-term care home.

Burrill said the best way to tackle the challenge is to work on things that can be done quickly, such as building more long-term care beds, to alleviate some of the pressure on the emergency system.

"This is something that could be done immediately."

Delorey continues to wait for the results of a review of the province's EHS system by Fitch and Associates. The original delivery date was December and that was then pushed into the spring. The work is still not complete.