Coroner probes ambulance delay as man's family grieves

A coroner is investigating the death of 51-year-old Nick Bradford, who waited hours for an ambulance after calling emergency services for chest pains on Sunday night. Bradford's family is grieving the revelation that it took more than two hours for help to arrive, despite his home being near Princess Alexandra Hospital. His brother, Daniel Bradford, expressed his frustration, stating, "Nick wasn't taking any medication, and didn't have any diagnosed health conditions before his death."

The family was also shocked to learn that an ambulance had arrived at Bradford's home within minutes of his call, as initially reported. Queensland Health Minister Tim Nicholls apologized to the Bradford family and confirmed they learned about the delays through news reports. Ambulance ramping, the percentage of patients waiting over 30 minutes in hospital after arriving by ambulance, sits at 42 percent, just two percent better than when the Crisafulli Government took office in October 2024.

The state aims to have 90 percent of patients transferred off a stretcher within half an hour. Another man in his 80s died shortly after being admitted to the Mater Hospital following a three-hour wait on Tuesday. Both cases will be reviewed. The coroner's office will begin an investigation into Bradford's death next week. A service to celebrate his life is planned for November, with family and friends wearing band shirts in his honor.