A coroner has found that delays in ambulance response contributed to the death of a 25-year-old Belfast man in February 2022.

Lee Gannon died at the Royal Victoria Hospital after experiencing breathing problems at his home. A post-mortem examination found he died from lobar pneumonia.

His family made four 999 calls and performed chest compressions, but his initial call was not classified as a Category 1 emergency, which is reserved for immediately life-threatening conditions. He was not taken to hospital until almost four hours after the first call.

Coroner Marie Dougan said the initial call should have been registered as Category 1. She also identified two missed opportunities to reassess and re-triage the case as Mr Gannon's condition deteriorated.

Mr Gannon was eventually re-triaged as Category 1 after the fourth call, but by the time paramedics arrived it was too late.

Ms Dougan said the incorrect categorisation and subsequent failures to re-triage resulted in a substantial delay in ambulance attendance and transfer to hospital. She found that the delay deprived Mr Gannon of timely assessment and treatment for pneumonia and sepsis and materially contributed to his premature death.

The coroner noted that ambulance response delays and prolonged handover delays at emergency departments remain a problem across Northern Ireland. She said such delays affect the availability of ambulance resources to respond to patients in the community.

She acknowledged that the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service accepted fault during the inquest and is committed to learning from the case.

Mr Gannon's sister Colleen said the family lives with a heavy heart knowing his death was preventable. She said her brother was a much-loved brother and son who was kind and humorous. She expressed hope that his death will bring about change.