London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – After musician Ebow Graham’s death in 2020, an NHS trust and ambulance service admitted failing to provide timely mental health support in London.
As reported by The Guardian, an NHS trust and ambulance service have confessed to failures in their care responsibilities after the death of Foreign Beggars co-founding member Ebow Graham.
What failures led to Ebow Graham’s death?
Graham 40-year-old, in April 2020, died after falling from a third-storey window in Clapton, east London, during a psychotic crisis.
Before the tragic incident, paramedics in London dismissed the concerns of Graham’s friends about his behaviour. A crisis call handler from East London NHS Trust also neglected to assess his risk or arrange an urgent mental health review within the required time.
The London Ambulance Service and the NHS trust have reached an undisclosed settlement with Francesca Macri, Graham’s former partner.
Paramedics and the mental health team failed to act in time
At around 4:20 pm on 17 April, Graham’s friends contacted 999, concerned about his erratic behaviour.
Macri said the paramedics who attended Graham’s Clapton flat were “dismissive and casual,” ignoring the concerns raised by his friends regarding his health.
According to paramedics, Graham can handle decisions regarding his care. A serious incident report from London Ambulance Services revealed they neglected to contact the mental health team for guidance.
Graham’s flatmate, a GP, reached out to the mental health crisis team at 6:30 pm, warning of serious concerns about Graham’s mental state.
The crisis team failed to organize an urgent same-day assessment within the four-hour window; they proposed an appointment for the next morning.
Graham’s friends, in distress, took him to a hospital, but after waiting to be seen, they returned home due to his ongoing agitation. They later made two emergency calls, expressing their deep fear over his well-being.
At 12:25 am on April 18, a third emergency call was made. They informed authorities that Graham had fallen out of a window.
Performing under the stage name Metropolis, Graham sustained serious injuries during the fall. He suffered a cardiac arrest while being taken to the hospital and was declared dead shortly after his arrival.
What did Francesca Macri say about Ebow Graham’s treatment and the role of racial profiling?
Macri said,
“Since Ebow’s death we’ve had several concerns about the treatment he received, or rather didn’t receive, on that day.”
She expressed strong disapproval of the ambulance team, stating,
“The paramedics that attended on that day were dismissive and flippant and ignored what Ebow’s friends were telling them.”
Macri stated,
“They asked whether Ebow had smoked cannabis and this concerns me – were they asking this because Ebow was a black man with dreadlocks? Why did it even matter what had caused Ebow’s psychosis and shouldn’t the focus have been on helping him? I cannot help but wonder whether racial profiling played any part in the way Ebow was treated.”
She added,
“Our only hope now is that the heartbreak we’ve suffered highlights the dangers of drugs but also the need for those with mental health issues to receive the most appropriate and swift treatment. If Ebow had received the correct care on that fateful day he may still be here with us today.”
What did Daniel Elkeles say about the care provided to Ebow Graham?
Daniel Elkeles, the chief executive of the London ambulance service, stated,
“We would like to offer our sincere condolences to Mr Graham’s loved ones and we are sorry for the shortcomings in the care we provided to him in the hours before his death.”
He said,
“The inquest found we should have sought mental health specialist advice on whether Mr Graham could decline treatment. However, there was no finding of racial profiling and these are claims we strongly refute.”
Mr Elkeles added,
“The inquest found we should have sought mental health specialist advice on whether Mr Graham could decline treatment. However, there was no finding of racial profiling and these are claims we strongly refute. We investigated the care of Mr Graham and there has been much learning and action for the trust in the five years since he died.”
What Did Macri’s Lawyer Say About Lessons for Improving Mental Health Care?
Leena Savjani, Macri’s legal representative from Irwin Mitchell’s medical negligence team, stated,
“It’s now vital that lessons are learned from the issues that have been identified to help improve patient safety about mental health.”
Ms Savjani added,
“We’d always urge health professionals to listen carefully to loved ones when a person is in distress as it can help ensure that urgent assessments are carried out and appropriate help can be provided to those who need it.”
Death cases due to delays or insufficient NHS care
Excess deaths due to healthcare delays (2022-2023)
- Estimated 30,000-50,000 excess deaths in England in 2022, partly attributed to delays in emergency care, ambulance waits, and backlogs (BBC, ONS, British Heart Foundation).
- 14,000+ excess deaths in 2022 from heart disease & strokes—many linked to delays in ambulance response and hospital treatment (BHF analysis).
Ambulance delays & emergency care failures
- One in six ambulance handovers was delayed by over an hour in 2022-23, contributing to preventable deaths (NHS England).
- 500+ deaths in 2022 linked to 12+ hour A&E waits (Royal College of Emergency Medicine estimate).