Roger Ellis, an 87-year-old resident of Lincolnshire, who suffers from Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP), has missed seven vital medical appointments in the past nine months due to the non-arrival of pre-booked ambulance transport. As a result of his disability, Mr Ellis is heavily dependent on the patient transfer services of the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to attend his hospital consultations. However, over the last several months, several missed appointments have disrupted his long-standing healthcare routine and caused significant concern in the family.
Mr Ellis has been relying on these services for the last 15 years. His son, Stephen Ellis, has expressed the family’s discontent regarding the unreliable service. Despite making numerous complaints through the Patient Advice and Liaison Services (PALS), the family has only received formal apologies, with no noticeable improvement in the quality or reliability of the service.
EMAS has recognised the issue and attributed the problems to a high demand for their services. They have conveyed their commitment towards improving their services to better meet the needs of patients.