Lib Dems say some details of story shared over Eastbourne ambulance waiting time were inaccurate

Earlier this month Lib Dem leader Ed Davey told the House of Commons at Prime Minister’s Questions that a woman called Jean called 999 and was told she would have to wait ‘at least eight hours’ for an ambulance to the DGH.

He told the Commons she drove herself to the DGH as a result. Mr Davey said: “She paid for parking and made it to the entrance to A&E, where she collapsed. Jean died an hour later.”

Original story here

Now an article by Geraldine Scott in The Times says the information shared was not accurate. The article said: “Almost all the details he provided were incorrect, including that the patient has paid for parking and has driven to the hospital alone. Although a woman named Jean did die at the hospital, it was after a stay of a week.”

Check out a tweet from Geraldine Scott on the matter

A Lib Dem spokesperson told The Times: “We were asked by a member of Jean’s family to raise her story in Parliament at a time when ambulance waiting times around the country have reached dangerous levels…We applaud the bravery of her grieving grandson, who has explained that in his grief some details provided were inaccurate.”

Eastbourne MP Caroline Ansell said: “I am most unhappy and angry that the leader of the Liberal Democrats has used the death of someone for political gain but it is even worse when the facts are so wrong. My heart goes out to the family of Jean.

“I am also very unhappy for the hard-working staff at Eastbourne District Hospital and the ambulance service who must have felt sick to their stomachs hearing such an upsetting story only to find out later it was untrue.

“Sir Ed Davey misled the House at PMQs. He needs to come back to the Commons and apologise for what he said and put the record straight. I do not know how he can make amends to the family.

“What I would like to know is who sent this wrong information to Ed Davey and why was it not checked?”

Following up, Mr Davey said in Parliament on March 16: “At Prime Minister’s questions last week, I raised the case of Jean, after her grieving grandson asked me to raise it in Parliament in order to highlight the tragic impact of long ambulance delays. After speaking with Jean’s grandson last night, I now understand that some of the details provided to me, which I relayed to this House, were not accurate. While the substantive point remains – Jean did call for an ambulance and was told that she would have to wait for at least eight hours – Jean did not pay for her parking, and she did not die within the first hour of arriving at the hospital. I wish to correct the record by withdrawing those particular remarks.”

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