Addenbrooke's Hospital: Patient dies in ambulance outside 'extremely busy' A&E

A patient died in an ambulance outside a hospital's accident and emergency department as it tried to cope with "an extremely busy night".

Addenbrooke's Hospital has launched an investigation following the incident on Sunday evening.

The patient had a cardiac arrest and died about an hour after having arrived outside the emergency department.

A spokesperson said the patient had "remained in the ambulance, due to significant pressures on A&E".

As first reported in The Independent, the patient had been assessed by a registered nurse when they arrived at the hospital just before 22:00 BST.

The hospital said just before 23:00 the patient had a cardiac arrest and, despite ambulance and emergency department staff attempting resuscitation, they died.

The hospital spokesperson said: "During an extremely busy night in our emergency department, a patient was brought to Addenbrooke's by ambulance with chest pains.

"They were assessed by a registered nurse on arrival and remained in the ambulance, due to significant pressures on A&E, where they were monitored by paramedics.

"Our emergency department staff supported the paramedics when the patient's condition deteriorated, but sadly they died following a cardiac arrest."

The East of England Ambulance Service has been contacted for comment.

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