A father who was deeply devoted passed away merely five hours after emergency medical services overlooked critical signs of sepsis and failed to promptly transport him to a hospital. Steve Holbrook-Sishton, a former educator and college instructor, began exhibiting symptoms of the dangerous infection in October 2021 following his contraction of Covid-19 shortly after receiving his booster shot.
His health rapidly declined, leading his wife Jan Holbrook, 70, to contact the NHS 111 helpline due to escalating concerns about his sepsis symptoms. The ambulance team arrived over three hours later, conducted an examination for an hour, and departed without identifying the condition despite evident warning indicators.
Subsequently, when Steve’s health took a sharp turn for the worse, Jan contacted emergency services once more and was assured an ambulance would arrive within 20 minutes. However, the second ambulance arrived more than two hours later at the couple’s residence in Storrington, West Sussex, only to find that the 67-year-old father had already passed away.
Expressing her anguish, Jan stated, “I had a sense that something was wrong, but when the initial ambulance crew left, I felt Steve had not been thoroughly evaluated, and we were not provided with any guidance. Upon the arrival of the second crew, I simply had to inform them that they were too late, as he had already passed away.”
Reflecting on the tragic loss, Jan emphasized Steve’s role as a loving husband, an exceptional father, and a remarkably kind-hearted individual who was the cornerstone of their family.
Following his third Covid vaccine on October 16, 2021, Steve experienced a high fever and breathing difficulties. Subsequently testing positive for Covid-19 on October 26 and displaying additional symptoms of confusion and reduced urine output, Steve’s condition continued to deteriorate.
Despite seeking medical assistance, emergency responders failed to promptly recognize sepsis during their assessments. Jan’s repeated calls for help were met with delays, and by the time a second ambulance team arrived at 7:40 am, it was too late to save Steve. Left behind are his three children: Maddy, 39, who has cerebral palsy, Alex, 37, and Marcus, 30.
In light of these events, Jan sought legal counsel from Irwin Mitchell to investigate the circumstances of Steve’s care. The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust admitted to a breach of duty in connection with Steve’s untimely passing, acknowledging that timely hospitalization and care could have prevented his death.
The Trust’s Chief Executive, Simon Welder, extended his apologies to Jan, acknowledging the mishandling of Steve’s care and expressing deep regret for the Trust’s shortcomings.
Irwin Mitchell, in collaboration with the Ambulance Trust, is currently working on a resolution for Steve’s grieving family. Laura Hayes-Payne, the medical negligence expert at Irwin Mitchell representing Jan, emphasized the importance of learning from Steve’s case to prevent such tragedies in the future and underscored the critical need for early sepsis detection to save lives.
Sepsis warning signs encompass slurred speech, confusion, severe shivering, muscle pain, absence of urine output, extreme breathlessness, and mottled or discolored skin.