BA Complaint, My father’s journey

By admin on January 21, 2011 • ( 0 )

Here is a copy of the letter I sent to both BA and BAA, regarding the treatment of my father. Clearly, you will note that has been no adherence to protocol. If a person has become sick on-board, then common-sense suggests that it is the duty of cabin crew and ground staff to do everything in their power to help and save a life.

At the time of going to print on my blog, he is still in an Intensive Care Unit in hospital and we hope he will recover.
I still await a reply from the organisations involved in this apparent shambles.

Ref: Passenger Mr P S Arora Medical Alert
21st January 2011

Dear Sir/Madam,

It is now 4 weeks since my father arrived back from holidaying in India. His e-Ticket number was: xxxxxxxxxx and reservation number was: xxxxxxxxxxxxx (BA0256)

Since his arrival on Christmas Eve 24th December 2010 he has been in ITU – The Intensive Treatment Unit. The reason for writing to you is to outline what happened on the flight and subsequent disembarking. This is what happened:

The flight arrived at 5pm and at 5:10pm a member of the BA Cabin Crew, a Mr Singh called my home and spoke to me about collecting my father from the arrival gate at terminal 5.As we live close to Terminal 5 we arrived at approx 5:40pm

My daughter and I ran between the ground and 3rd floor to find the BAA passenger assistance desk and I left my son standing at arrivals to wait for my father there.

By coincidence we met 3 of the BA cabin crew near one of the lifts and one of them spoke to us as noticed we were asking people the location of the BAA passenger assistance desk.

The BA crew member said he had called me and that my father had been on Oxygen for the past 6 hours. He further said that he was behind arrivals.

When we did eventually find a BAA person, after 50 minutes they placed a Public address call out to the wheelchair attendant to find my father.

All in all it took an hour to locate my father.

His condition worsened when we managed to get him brought out by BAA from the baggage area behind arrivals. He had apparently been left there and ignored?!

Mr Depak, the BAA duty manager assembled some of his staff and organised some portable curtains as my father was in deep medical distress, slumped forward in the wheelchair, with his eyes rolled up and hands and feet frozen.

We stressed to BAA that they call an ambulance immediately. NB this should have happened far earlier – BAA claim no request was made by the cabin crew. Surprising as my father was on Oxygen for 6 hours.

Within 10minutes, the time now being past 6pm an ambulance arrived and my father was rushed to hospital.

Upon arrival to hospital we were told by 2 Doctors that my father could die and that one lung had stopped functioning. He has
been on a ventilator ever since suffering from severe Pneumonia.

We are hoping he will recover.

Why did the BA cabin crew not contact the medics on the ground? Why was the BAA wheelchair attendant contractor not proactive- My father was best described as in a comatose position. BAA claim (the main person that organises the medics to be called out) that no call was received from the plane/cabin crew for medical assistance. Is this not against the protocol of both organisations and BA training, especially as a passenger was on Oxygen for 6 hours and clearly in medical distress?

What will you be doing to investigate this matter, fully audit responsibilities and ensure that this never happens again? Will you please find out about the facts as a persons life has been compromised by what appears as a collective lack of communication or responsibility.

It is likely that my fathers condition was also comprised further by lack of Oxygen for a further 1 hour causing a complete white-out of his right lung. I would appreciate a call to discuss this ASAP.

I hope that my father recovers.

Dr Savi S Arora