A man from Queensland died after spending hours in an ambulance waiting for a hospital bed near Brisbane. Health Minister Shannon Fentiman reported that a full clinical review was in progress, following the Nov. 17 death of Wayne Irving at Ipswich Hospital. Mr. Irving reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack during the process of being transferred from the ambulance to a hospital bed, after a three-hour wait. According to his family, they had contacted emergency services at 7:30 pm on Nov. 16, when Mr. Irving showed symptoms of chest pains. Paramedics arrived at their residence within 30 minutes, but the ambulance was then stalled for three hours at Ipswich Hospital after its arrival at 9:15 pm.
During the wait, Mr. Irving was said to have gone in and out of consciousness while waiting in the back of the ambulance. He was admitted to the hospital at 12:15 am, but reportedly experienced cardiac arrest during the transfer and died shortly afterward. Mr. Irving’s daughter, Lauren Hansford, expressed disbelief over the lack of healthcare access. Meanwhile, Health Minister Ms. Fentiman mentioned that she would review Mr. Irving’s death in its entirety. Ms. Fentiman also expressed condolences to Mr. Irving’s family and friends, assuring that recommendations from the review and coroner would be implemented, and that additional resources for the busy hospital would be explored. The family paid tribute to Mr. Irving on social media, describing his sudden and unexpected passing with sadness.