Langley Moor man died before ambulance arrived after an hour

Andrew Watson died on October 10, 2019, at the Cecil Court supported living complex in Langley Moor after his condition ‘rapidly deteriorated’ hours after he had visited his GP.

A week-long inquest into Andrew’s death at Crook Coroners’ Court began on Monday (June 15) and heard recordings of 999 calls where Andrew was wheezing and struggling to speak.

During his first call at 5.38pm he told the operator he was having difficulty breathing and had passed out.

He also said he had been struggling for two days, felt hot to the touch and had swelling on his throat that had become “worse”. He reported chest pain which had started within the previous hour, pain in his back and added: “I have not been well, been coughing blood.”

The operator told him an ambulance would arrive in around 18 minutes before ending the call by saying: “We will be with you as soon as we can”.

(Image: FAMILY)

Andrew called 999 again at 6.23pm, telling a second operator: “I can’t breath, I am struggling to breath.”

After telling them he had vomited a mug and a half of blood from, the operator said an ambulance was already on the way and stated the 18-minute wait was “still appropriate for the symptoms you have got”, adding that he should “let them know if your symptoms are getting worse.”

Just 12 minutes later at 6.35pm, support worker Beverley Richardson answered a 999 call after hearing a thud and finding Andrew had collapsed.

She told the inquest: “By this time his colour had changed and he was turning blue.”

Taking over the call, she immediately informed the operator: “He’s having difficulty breathing, he’s turning a blue colour.”

When asked if he was awake, she replied: “No, he is unresponsive.” Asked if he was breathing, she said: “Yes, but laboured, he’s going blue in colour.”

(Image: FAMILY)

An ambulance arrived shortly after at 6.45pm, 67 minutes after the initial 999 call.

He was declared dead an hour later 7.45pm.

Ms Richardson said Andrew had appeared well in the hours leading up to his death, she said she asked if he was okay, and he told her he was going to call 111 because “his throat still hurt”.

She added there was “nothing to suggest he was in pain or having problems,” but added that his deterioration was a ‘rapid progression’ after he collapsed. She added she had not seen him coughing up blood or lose consciousness.

(Image: FAMILY)

Pathologist Dr Clive Bloxham concluded Andrew died from respiratory failure caused by airway obstruction due to quinsy – a rare complication of tonsillitis in which an abscess forms in the throat.

After initially not being able to find a cause of death, he requested additional information from the North East Ambulance Service before finally determining the cause of death in March 2020. He concluded Andrew had suffered with quinsy.

Dr Bloxham told the court he had encountered only three cases of quinsy during his 40-year career and said that his case ‘seemed to have progressed very rapidly’.

Earlier on the day he died, Andrew attended his GP surgery where nurse practitioner Jacqueline Griffiths diagnosed tonsillitis, prescribed antibiotics and advised him to return if symptoms worsened or call 111 out of hours.

Dr Jonathan Wing told the inquest diagnosing tonsillitis was appropriate, while acknowledging suspected quinsy should be referred immediately because “best practice dictates early referral.”

Andrew’s mother, Liz Watson, also paid an emotional tribute to her son, she told the court: “Andrew brought light into every room.

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“He had a way of lifting everyone around him even without trying.

“He cherished his family and friends and they cherished him. His impact will not fade and he will never be forgotten.”

In evidence, she recalled her son studying forensic science before later experiencing mental health difficulties and substance abuse problems, resulting in several periods of being sectioned before moving into supported living.

Liz added: “In this day and age people should not be dying from a throat infection and they should not be waiting over an hour for an ambulance after a 999 call.”

(Image: FAMILY)

Andrew’s death later became caught up in allegations of safety investigation failures and cover-ups at the North East Ambulance Service. His family say they only discovered in 2023, after being contacted by journalists, that internal investigations had taken place following his death.

Because key material was not initially disclosed, the original inquest into Andrew’s death concluded in March 2020 before later being reopened in 2024.

The hearing is expected to continue until June 18.