Two-year-old mother of two died waiting for ambulances to arrive after she was unable to breathe.
Bina Patel (56), from Ashton-under-Lyne in Tameside Greater Manchester, already had “no pulse” by the time paramedics arrived at her house, according to Ashkay, her son.
According to North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), she suffered a “suspected heart attack” and died.
Ashkay had called for an ambulance ‘seven times’ as her condition deteriorated, in the early hours of October 11, and sat with her as she took her final breaths.
The 27-year-old desperately tried to save her – and blames NWAS for her death.
Bina Patel, mother-of-two, died while waiting for ambulances to arrive. She had been “struggling to breath” and could be heard shouting ‘help! I am dying. Ashkay, her son, stated that the 56-year-old woman, Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester, had already lost her pulse by the time paramedics arrived at her house.
He demanded explanations in the days following the tragedy. He said that his mother had been dragged to her death for nearly an hour and that she could have survived.
The shocking news comes after new data revealed that patients who have suffered a stroke or heart attack are still waiting over an hour for their ambulance. This is despite the crippling NHS pressure.
Mrs Patel, who worked in the town’s Asda as a cashier for 15 years, had been out to meet friends in Leicester on October 10 before returning home and heading to bed. Her son said that everything seemed fine and she seemed happy.
Ashkay, however, was awakened in the early morning by her screaming for help.
Ashkay found this shocking, as his mother was diagnosed with long-term diabetic conditions, however, there were no underlying, unanticipated, conditions that could have left her breathless.
They shared an apartment after Ashkay’s dad’s passing.
He claims that he called 999 to request an ambulance shortly after 2:30am, when her condition had deteriorated.
Ashkay stated that Ashkay was informed by the call handler that an ambulance was on its way.
According to the North West Ambulance Service’s (NWAS) patient report, Mrs Patel succumbed to cardiac arrest. Ashkay is shown with his mother. He had called an ambulance seven times as Mrs Patel’s condition worsened. Ashkay then sat next to her until she breathed her last breaths. She died after the 27-year old tried desperately to save herself.
Over the course of 55 minutes, he stated that he kept calling 999 because there was no ambulance arriving. His mother was also becoming very ill.
Ashkay asked NWAS to record Mrs Patel’s distress in two of her 999 calls.
The calls are so horrifying that Mrs Patel is heard shouting, “Help me!” and Ashkay trying to save his mother.
After the 2.30am initial report, the times for the calls were: 2.52am; 3.03am; 3.10am; 3.17am; 3.23am and another just a few seconds later.
NWAS made recordings at 3:17am and 2.52am. On the call at 2.52, the call handler could be heard telling callers that they wait an average of an hour for ambulances because they’re very busy.
Ashkay informs emergency services that his mother is now unable to breathe completely in the second recording.
On the other end of the phone, a call handler is heard saying Ashkay has no help. He should then wait for paramedics. After that, the call handler says there is a second call and [they]”Hang up”
Ashkay stated that an ambulance and paramedic vehicle arrived almost an hour after Ashkay’s initial 911 call. He claims that he was doing CPR, as instructed by his call handler, but it had not worked and that his mother was dead.
Ashkay requested a NWAS patient report again, as he filed a formal complaint. The NWAS patient report was seen by Manchester Evening News, (MEN) and states that the ambulance arrived on-site at 3.18am.
According to the report, Mrs Patel had an apparent cardiac arrest and was unable to breathe. Bina Patel died shortly thereafter.
Ashkay said he has been left ‘scarred’ by the loss, and the terrifying circumstances in which it happened – exacerbated by the fact the family home is very close to Tameside Hospital A&E.
He told MEN that the level of care received during that night was “just atrocious.”
Two minutes from our home, ‘Tameside Hospital’ is located. It would have been so easy to get her into the car and drive her there by myself. However, she couldn’t.
“At 2.10am my mother was having trouble breathing. My name was called out by her, and I leapt from bed to see that she could not even stand.
Ashkay said he has been left ‘scarred’ by the loss, and the terrifying circumstances in which it happened – exacerbated by the fact the family home is very close to Tameside Hospital A&E (file image)
“She wheezed, looked dizzy. I brought her water, sat her down and informed the ambulance that she was experiencing breathing problems.
“Knowing that the hospital was close to my home, I expected somebody to arrive as soon as possible. Nobody arrived.
“I didn’t know how long it would take for her to breathe again. Once again, I dialed the ambulance to pursue, explaining that her breathing was getting worse.
“She was screaming, screaming that she couldn’t breath and would die.” She was truly going to die.
“I called them seven different times that evening. The situation got so severe that her mother collapsed onto the ground. When I called 911 again, at 3.23 AM, my last 999 call was to them, they told me how to administer CPR to mum.
“An ambulance arrived and a paramedic truck arrived five minutes later at the scene. It was 3.27 AM. She was given adrenaline and an intramuscular machine. The team fought her for 30 minutes. However, it was too late and she was dead.
“I was angry at them. “I called you an hour and a half ago. That’s when I should have seen you, she was just trying to breath.”
Ashkay stated that he would always think back to the night and wonder if things could have been different.
Now he wants to find out why the ambulance could not be dispatched to his house at 3.17am after he called almost 50 minutes earlier to complain of breathing problems.
I’m still scarred for my life. The NHS was not there for me when I needed it. The ambulance service is not trustworthy to me.
Ashkay is Bina Patel’s child
He said that if she had not been struggling to breathe for an hour waiting for ambulance services, her life could have been saved.
“Her lips turned from reddish to white throughout that entire hour. This was something I never thought possible.” Each time they called, I kept hearing “calm down the patient”. I was unable to breathe and needed help.
“An hour prior, I had been there, along with my mum trying to help her take her breath. She was found lying before me an hour later.
“I feel traumatized by the fact that there wasn’t any help available from those I needed. You and I are both paying into the same service. It doesn’t make sense. Why was I so confused?
It’s heartbreaking to witness a parent go before you. The whole situation will remain in my thoughts and memories. I have never seen anything like it in my entire life.
“It has just scared me for my entire life. The NHS was not there for me when I needed it. I don’t believe in the ambulance service. It is impossible to believe that the ambulance took so long. First, the dispatcher asks “Is the patient still breathing?”The patient is breathing.
She was just too weak to breathe for an entire hour. Picture being completely underwater for an entire hour. It’s unlikely you will survive. This is the situation the ambulance finds itself in [service]Place her in.
“If they had arrived in the right time, we could have done something. It was sickening to learn that my mother needed CPR and I called 999 for instructions.
My mum’s death was due to ‘NWAS, according to me. Her death was caused by them not arriving in time. They made her die, and I blame them. They failed to do their job properly. It’s not like they were taking it as seriously as possible.
Ashkay stated that NWAS has begun internal investigations into the incident and promised to respond within 60 days.
North West Ambulance Service spoke out in response to MEN’s inquiries about Bina Patel’s death.
We can confirm that an official complaint has been received and that the investigation is continuing. We will keep in touch with family members and provide updates on our findings.
Ashkay’s brother and sister hope to raise funds in Ashkay’s memory for the British Heart Foundation and their local temple.
Ashkay said that Bina Patel was a well-known figure in the local community. “She was one of the most caring and loving people you will ever meet. She was always there to help you and guide you.
‘Even now people are coming to my house talking about the happy times they had with her, I had with her. My mother did her best throughout my entire life. My brother and me were so proud of what she had achieved.
She made Indian food for the homeless shelter. She was a master chef. It is rare to find someone who will cook such a feast.
She was a remarkable person and could easily connect with anybody in the universe. There is no one like her. “My mum was amazing.”
He said, “I am so mad that I wouldn’t move if there was an ambulance with blue lights.” They were not there when I most needed them.
“My mom was only 56. Before I find out why my mum died that night, I will not be able to settle my mind. The ambulance took 57 minutes to arrive, while I lived two minutes away from the hospital.