The London Ambulance Service has admitted 11 breaches of duty and has agreed to pay for the ongoing care after medical negligence of a woman who suffered severe brain damage when she had to wait almost two hours for paramedics to arrive.

Caren Paterson collapsed at her London flat and her boyfriend dialled 999, saying she needed urgent medical attention to save her life. However, the address was stated to be a "high risk" by the ambulance service and therefore the ambulance crew, who got to the scene quickly, had to wait until a police escort arrived before entering the property and attending to the woman.

By the time the police arrived Miss Paterson's brain had suffered permanent damage and she also suffered a cardiac arrest. She now resides in a specialist hospital requiring round-the-clock care.

The delay in attending to her came as a result of health and safety rules initiated following inquests into the 2005 July 7 bombings and last year's Cumbrian gun rampage which stated that paramedics should wait at safe rendezvous points for police before entering potentially threatening areas or addresses.

The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has been urged to order an immediate review into the policy. A spokesman for the ambulance service sent sincere apologies to Caren Paterson and her family and added: "We carried out a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the incident and we have accepted liability for the shortcomings in the care that was provided."

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1373941/Caren-Paterson-brain-damaged-waiting-2-hours-ambulance-100-yards-away.html