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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
Regarding the recent incident of a person seeking assistance near a bus stop on Chung Yan Road, the spokesperson for North Lantau Hospital (NLTH) announced the key findings of the chronology report today (August 21):
At 4.46pm on August 8, a pedestrian came to the first floor of NLTH and asked a security guard to assist a man who was feeling unwell near a bus stop on Chung Yan Road. The security guard rushed to the scene immediately and reported the incident to the Security Control Room via walkie-talkie.
At 4.47pm, the Security Manager who was on duty in the Security Control Room arrived at the scene to provide assistance upon receiving the message. He then requested the Security Control Room in charge to inform, via walkie-talkie, the Accident and Emergency Department (AED) that on-site assistance by AED was needed. The Security Control Room in-charge then called the A&E nurse on duty, informing her about the request. However, there was miscommunication between the two, which led the nurse on duty to believe that the patient would be sent from the ground floor lift lobby area to the AED located on the first floor. The nurse on duty then informed other AED staff to stay alert and get ready to receive the patient.
From 4.48pm to 4.51pm, upon request by the Security Manager, the Security Control Room in charge called the AED again but the AED telephone line was engaged. During the same period, hospital supporting staff also transported a stretcher to the scene. The Security Manager and the Security Control Room in-charge also requested the Security Guard stationed at the AED to request assistance from AED staff, but the message had not been effectively conveyed.
At 4.52pm, the Security Manager at the scene noticed the deterioration of the patient's condition and decided to call the Ambulance Control Centre to send an ambulance. Meanwhile, an ambulance passed by the scene at 4.55pm and the Security Manager immediately stopped the ambulance. The ambulance crew got off the ambulance and started cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation for the patient.
At 4.56pm, AED staff eventually realised that on-site medical assistance was required. The nurse on duty ordered the immediate dispatch of an emergency team with resuscitation equipment. An ambulance responding to the call also arrived at the scene at 4.58pm and joined the rescue.
At 5.01pm, the ambulance conveyed the patient from the scene to NLTH AED. Due to miscommunication between the Security Control Room in charge and the duty A&E nurse, the emergency team misunderstood that the patient was on the ground floor lift lobby and arrived there at 5.02pm. The team was notified by a security guard that the ambulance carrying the patient was on its way to AED. The emergency team returned to the AED to join the resuscitation.
The ambulance arrived at NLTH AED at 5.06pm and resuscitation continued by medical staff in the resuscitation room. After stabilising the patient's condition, the medical staff escorted him to Princess Margaret Hospital for further care.
The hospital has in place the "Guidelines on Management of Persons Found Collapse in Non-Ward Areas and in the Vicinity of Hospital". The incident revealed that although the staff intended to provide prompt assistance, there are areas for improvement in the process of handling incidents requiring emergency medical assistance. For instance, the miscommunication between the Security Control Room in charge and the AED nurse delayed the dispatch of the AED emergency team. IN addition, there was difficulty in the communication between AED staff and the Security Control Room in charge as well as the security guard stationed at the AED.
NLTH is deeply concerned about the incident and has introduced the following improvement measures:
1. Enhance staff training and drills on handling request for emergency medical assistance, including arranging frontline security and supporting staff to attend first-aid training;
2. Enhance staff vigilance and communication skills on handling patients' request for emergency medical assistance in the vicinity of the hospital;
3. Set up a designated phone line for communication between the Security Control Room and the AED;
4. Review existing guidelines, including specifying circumstances that security staff should inform the AED and call the ambulance simultaneously.
NLTH has explained the content of the report and again extended its deepest condolences to the patient's family. NLTH has submitted the chronology report to the Hospital Authority Head Office today (August 21).
Ends/Friday, August 21, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:03
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