“You’re too late, he’s already dead”: Wife's haunting words after loving father died of sepsis when paramedics failed to spot symptoms
The wife of a loving father has spoken out following his death from sepsis after paramedics failed to recognise the symptoms of the deadly disease.
“You’re too late, he’s already dead” - these are the haunting words spoken by the wife of a loving father who died after paramedics failed to spot the symptoms of sepsis. Former teacher and college tutor Steve Holbrook-Sishton died just five hours after being checked by the medical personnel who failed to take the 67-year-old to hospital.
Now, his wife, 70-year-old Jan Holbrook, has spoken out so lessons can be learned following the tragic death of her husband of 35 years. She said Steve began developing the life threatening illness in October 2021 after catching Covid-19 just days after having a booster jab on October 16.
He began experiencing symptoms of confusion and poor urine output, and when his symptoms worsened on October 30, his wife, Jan called the NHS 111 helpline at 10.40 pm. She was told an ambulance was being sent but just after 1am she called 999 to check when the ambulance would arrive. A crew arrived more than three hours later, at 2.10am, who examined Steve for around an hour before leaving.
When Steve's health declined further, Jan called 999 at 5.30am and was told an ambulance would be there in 20 minutes, with the call triaged as a category 2. When it didn't show up Jan called 999 again at around 6.25am reporting Steve was gasping for breath and was unresponsive. By the time the second ambulance arrived at the couple's home in Storrington, West Sussex, at 7.40am, the dad of three had died.
Jan said: “I knew something wasn’t right but when the first ambulance crew left, I don’t think Steve had been fully assessed and we weren’t given any advice. When the second crew finally arrived I just said 'you’re too late, he’s already dead'. That moment will stay with me forever.
“Steve was a loving husband, an incredible dad, and the kindest soul you could ever meet. He was the unique presence that held our family together. Watching him slip away, knowing something was horribly wrong but feeling powerless, was the most terrible experience of my life.
“The pain of losing Steve remains as raw now approaching four years on as it did the day he died. The hardest thing to try and come to terms with is knowing that he might still be here if he’d received the care he needed and deserved."
He leaves behind his three children Maddy, 39, who has cerebral palsy, Alex, 37, and Marcus, aged 30.
Following his death, Jan instructed lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate Steve’s care. It comes after South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust admitted a breach of duty in connection with Steve’s death.
The Trust admitted that if paramedics had taken Steve to hospital, and he had received appropriate care within two hours, he would not have died on the day he did. In a letter to Jan, Simon Welder, the Ambulance Trust’s chief executive, apologised for the “mismanagement” of Steve’s care.
He added: “Words cannot express how deeply sorry we are. This is not the standard of care the Trust strive to provide and I am truly sorry for the Trust’s failings.”
Irwin Mitchell and the Ambulance Trust are now working towards a settlement for Steve’s loved ones, in connection with his death. Laura Hayes-Payne, the expert medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Jan, said: “The admitted failings in Steve’s care are deeply concerning and highlight the devastating consequences of when sepsis isn’t recognised.
“We and Jan firmly believe that Steve’s symptoms should have prompted an urgent admission to hospital, and once there, he would have received the life-saving treatment he needed.
“While we welcome the Ambulance Trust’s admission and apology, it’s vital that lessons are learned from Steve’s case to ensure other families don’t suffer like Jan and her family have. Sepsis is a medical emergency and early detection is vital to saving lives.”
Signs of sepsis include slurred speech, confusion, extreme shivering and muscle pain, passing no urine in a day, severe breathlessness and mottled or discoloured skin.