Woman found unwell by police dies after four-hour wait for ambulance

Vicki Campbell, director of acute services at NHS Ayrshire & Arran, said: “We offer our heartfelt and sincere condolences to Ms Parker’s family.

“We will undertake a review to fully understand events and plan to do this on a multi-agency basis.

“Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to make any additional comment.”

Campbell said the health board would continue to monitor ambulance handover waits with SAS, alongside efforts to prepare for increased demand.

She added: “As with other boards in Scotland, there is high demand to access unscheduled care services and we are currently experiencing significant pressures across the whole health and care system.

“If delays are identified, then these are actively managed to mitigate risks wherever possible.”

Health Secretary Angela Constance said the government was working with SAS and NHS boards to manage pressures, and said some A&Es have “specific challenges”.

She said: “It is unacceptable for anyone to face a long wait for an ambulance and my thoughts are with Ms Parker’s family over this profoundly concerning set of circumstances.

“I expect the Scottish Ambulance Service to engage fully with Ms Parker’s family to answer the questions they have.

“Patient safety remains our top priority and we are determined to ensure there are no unnecessary delays in responding and transferring patients to hospitals, including Crosshouse Hospital.”