Grieving widow sues NHS for £300k after 999 death of husband
THE grieving widow of a retired dentist who was hit and killed by an ambulance responding to a 999 call is suing the NHS for more than £300,000 for “loss of his services as a loving husband”.
Dr Michael Daly, 77, died in hospital after suffering critical neck and head injuries when he was struck by the vehicle’s wing mirror on a pelican crossing.
His life support machine was turned off 17 weeks after the accident in February 2016.
Dr Daly’s widow Roseline, 77, is suing the East of England Ambulance Service for her emotional loss, “financial dependency” on him and psychiatric injuries.
She made the High Court civil claim after a jury trial found the ambulance driver mother-of-two Faye Parson, 41, of Braintree, Essex, not guilty of death by careless driving.
We are saddened and confused
She said she was “absolutely gutted” by the death but that he had stepped out from behind a van.
A jury acquitted her after 48 minutes of deliberation. Dr Daly, who was a dentist in Danbury, suffered severe brain injuries after being hit outside his village library.
He was flown to St George’s Hospital in London by air ambulance but died after contracting MRSA and suffering a cardiac arrest.
His family had previously criticised the NHS for refusing to pay their £10,000 travel costs visiting him during his 121-day stay in hospital.
Mrs Daly made the five-hour round trip every day without fail. His children Alexandra Daly, 45, and Adam Daly, 42, also had to scale back their jobs to support their dying father.
Alexandra said: “We are saddened and confused as to why we have received no financial support from the ambulance service during this harrowing time.”
An East of England Ambulance spokesman said: “The trust has written to the family to offer its condolences. This claim is being dealt with by the insurers.”
The NHS trust’s defence to the claim was not available from the court and the contents from the writ are yet to be tested before a judge.