The family of Julie Hurn, a mother of two from Norfolk, has received an apology from the NHS after a 90-minute delay in ambulance response led to her death. Julie, 43, had called 999 on 25 June 2022, experiencing chest pains and pins and needles in her arms. Despite her condition being categorised as a Category 2 emergency, with an 18-minute response target, paramedics arrived too late to prevent her fatal heart attack.

The inquest, held at Norfolk Coroner’s Court, revealed that extreme pressure on health services at the time of Julie’s call had severely impacted emergency response times. The coroner, Yvonne Blake, concluded that while the delay may have contributed to her death, it did not amount to neglect, attributing the situation to an NHS surge black incident — the highest level of strain on the healthcare system. Despite this ruling, the East of England Ambulance Service and Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital apologised to Julie’s family, acknowledging that their services had fallen short during the emergency.

Statement from Clare Gooch, associate solicitor at Switalskis

Clare Gooch, associate solicitor, representing the Hurn family on behalf of Switalskis, issued a statement following the inquest:

"This has been an incredibly painful time for Julie's family, who are still coming to terms with their loss under such difficult and distressing circumstances.

"Julie was a much loved mother-of-two, a devoted daughter, sister and friend, and her sudden passing has left a deep void to those who know her.

“The family have asked for privacy whilst they digest the evidence they heard and the Coroner’s conclusion.

"They are particularly saddened by the evidence provided by various experts, which suggests that had Julie received treatment sooner, the outcome could have been very different.

"It is devastating for them to accept that she was left in such pain for so long while waiting for medical help.

"Julie's family understands nothing will bring Julie back, but they hope that the attention drawn to her case will highlight the impact the delays of emergency response times have on families like theirs. 

"Her family hopes her death will serve as a catalyst for positive change within the health service, particularly in these times of extreme pressure on resources." 

A spokesperson for East of England Ambulance Service commented:

“This was a tragic incident, and we sincerely apologise to Mrs Hurn’s family for the delay in our response.

“Since then we have improved our capacity by recruiting additional staff and expanding our ambulance fleet. 

"We continue to work with our NHS partners to improve our service to patients.”

Meanwhile the Integrated Care Board have been working on improving the patient offload process for ambulances, to allow ambulances to get back on the road quicker.

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