FILE PICTURE - Linked to todays NTI story NTISTROKE, October 21, 2014, about the inquest into the death of John Mallalieu at Nottingham Town Hall. Collect picture of John and Ruth Mallalieu.  NHS bosses have apologised to the widow of an 89-year-old stroke victim who died after being turned away from hospital because it was too LATE on a Friday afternoon.  See NTI story NTISTROKE.  Tragic John Mallalieu was just minutes from treatment when an ambulance was diverted 14 miles because staff had gone HOME for the weekend.  Nurses told wife Ruth 84, that her husband could not be admitted to the stroke unit because they would be arriving after 5pm and a consultant was "going away for the weekend."  As a result the frail pensioner was left in intensive care at Nottingham's City Hospital - after being turned away from Kings Mill Hospital, in Mansfield, Notts.  The delay meant the grandfather-of three was not seen for almost an hour after his stroke and he died two days later on December 8 after suffering a blood clot to the brain.  Yesterday (Wed) East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust issued an apology to his devastated widow.
John Mallalieu pictured with his wife (Picture: NTI)

A stroke patient’s death was partly down to a catalogue of delays in getting him to hospital and a lack of communication between medical staff, an inquest has heard.

Retired vet John Mallalieu waited 80 minutes for an ambulance to arrive at his home after his wife dialled 999.

The 89-year-old was turned away from King’s Mill Hospital in Mansfield because it was due to close for the weekend, a coroner was told.

His ambulance was forced to battle through rush-hour traffic, which took another hour, before he arrived at Nottingham City Hospital.

Mr Mallalieu, of Caunton, Nottinghamshire, died in hospital 16 days later on December 22.

East Midlands Ambulance Service dispatch officer Jonathan Schofield told Nottingham coroner’s court Mr Mallalieu’s case was immediately categorised as ‘severe’ and a paramedic was dispatched in a car.

A new call handling system had been introduced. ‘It was a very busy shift for all of us,’ he added.

The inquest continues.