As the health safety watchdog warns on ambulance delays, the BBC investigates the case of 94-year-old Ken Shadbolt.
It was clear by now that he was starting to worry.
An internal ambulance service log seen by the BBC shows that South Western Ambulance Service was indeed busy that night. A doctor's report into Ken's case specifically refers to "a lack of ambulances available" that night.Ambulances waiting to unload patients at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on 13 June, 2022.It was clear now that he was in serious pain. He felt "terrible sick" and said his "breathing is going too".The same reply came back: "The ambulance service is just under a lot of pressure at the moment... we are doing our best.
Ken died at 14:21 that afternoon, with the cause of death given as a "very large subdural haematoma" or bleed on the brain. Prof Mark Pietroni, medical director and acting chief executive of Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said local and national health systems were "under intense pressure" and continued to face significant challenges "in response to unrelenting demand".