11/04/2022

Woman Dies In Newry Waiting For Ambulance From Belfast

A woman in Newry, County Down, who collapsed while walking home after a night out, died while waiting on an ambulance travelling from Belfast.

According to reports, the woman, aged in her 30s, was walking home with friends after a night out when she collapsed. It is understood that the woman's friends called 999 but were told "there would be a considerable wait as there was not an available crew".

It is understood that an ambulance had to be dispatched from Belfast, 38 miles away, and arriving approximately 45 minutes later.

By the time the ambulance crew arrived, the woman had died.

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) are understood to have said that while 10 ambulance crews were planned to be servicing the Southern division on Saturday night/Sunday morning, just three crews began the shift, and was further reduced to one "due to the onset of illness".

The NIAS went on to say that by 3am, the two ambulance crews servicing the area were delayed at Criagavon Area Hospital, waiting to offload patients, as the hospital was also under considerable pressure.

According to a report by the BBC, NIAS Control Room staff said that they felt "helpless" as they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

01 April 2008
Ambulance Crew Involved In M1 Crash
An ambulance crew has been involved in a crash in Belfast as they were attempting to resuscitate a young baby on the M1 motorway. The crew had been flagged down on Kennedy Way to help an infant who had stopped breathing, when a lorry collided with the ambulance at 11am today. The lorry was approaching the Broadway roundabout.
15 May 2012
One Person Injured In Ballymena Crash
One person has been seriously injured in a road traffic crash in Ballymena. A passing ambulance crew discovered the collision at Lisnevanagh Road at around 1.30pm. The road is currently closed and diversions have been put in place.
20 November 2024
Three Arrested in L'Derry For Drug Offences
Police in L'Derry have arrested three people and seized drugs worth an estimated £600. The arrests were made following a proactive policing operation in the city. On Monday, 18 November, officers observed suspicious behaviour from a 39-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman in the Strand Road area.
19 July 2019
NI Ambulance Service Recruiting Helicopter Paramedics
Northern Ireland Ambulance Service is recruiting for new helicopter paramedics to be based at the Air Ambulance base at Maze Long Kesh in Lisburn and Emergency Ambulance Control at NIAS HQ in Belfast. Successful candidates will join the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team which is made up of 15 doctors and seven paramedics.
06 April 2022
Ambulance Service Needs £40m To Tackle Waiting Times
The Chief Executive of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) has said the service will need £40 million over the next five years to address the crisis surrounding waiting times.