Iqbal and Samina were married for 37 years

Politics

He Died in My Arms While We Waited for an Ambulance This is Why Grieving Families Say Labour’s NHS Plan Misses the Mark

Published on July 7, 2025

Families who’ve suffered devastating losses because of delays in NHS care have hit out at Keir Starmer’s much-hyped 10-year rescue plan, saying it simply doesn’t go far enough.

Samina Rahman, a 61-year-old speech and language therapist from Birmingham, is one of those still reeling. She lost her husband, Iqbal, during what should have been a quiet Christmas getaway in Hereford back in 2022. Iqbal, 58, a configuration manager from London, died of a cardiac arrest right in her arms—while they waited endlessly for an ambulance that never arrived in time.

“He hadn’t been feeling himself for a few days,” Samina said. “Then suddenly he said he felt worse. He looked so pale and unwell.” At first, call handlers suspected it might be a diabetic issue and suggested giving him some jam. But it soon became clear that something much more serious was going on, reported the Express.

“He was getting breathless, complaining of shoulder pain. I told them I didn’t think we could wait a couple of hours—it felt urgent.” But even then, they were told the ambulance could take six to eight hours to arrive.

As Iqbal’s condition rapidly deteriorated, panic set in. Samina recalled the desperate calls, the begging, the pleas to get him to a hospital. “I was watching him struggle to breathe. I told them, ‘I think he’s dying. We need help now.’” Her daughter ran outside, searching frantically for anyone who might be able to help get Iqbal into a car, but there was no one.

In those heartbreaking final moments, Iqbal reached for his wife’s hand, recited a prayer, and passed away. The ambulance never arrived.

So when Sir Keir Starmer unveiled Labour’s grand plan to reform the NHS, it hit a nerve. Samina isn’t buying it. “There are thousands like me who live every day with this kind of loss,” she said. “Fifteen years of underfunding, disorganisation, and creeping privatisation have left our NHS crumbling.”

She argues that the plan’s bold talk lacks real substance. “It’s full of big promises, but there’s nothing on increasing hospital beds, no serious push to expand the NHS workforce, and definitely no significant boost to funding. It all feels like fantasy.”

Campaigners from Just Treatment echoed her frustrations, placing a memorial bench outside Labour HQ in Southwark on Friday—a tribute to those who died waiting for care that never came. “This bench is a warning,” Samina said. “We won’t let more families go through this.”

She called on the government to start taxing the wealthy, stop big corporations from exploiting the health service, and finally put proper funding into the system.

Research published by UNISON in April showed just how grim things are—68% of ambulance workers said patients’ conditions worsened while waiting for help. Even more harrowing, 5% admitted patients had died in their care due to the delays.

Meanwhile, Starmer insists there’s light at the end of the tunnel. Unveiling his NHS strategy, he said, “The future already looks better for the NHS.” The government’s plan includes shifting more care into local communities, reducing reliance on hospitals, and fewer NHS staff than previously estimated—redirected into neighbourhood health hubs instead.

The proposals mention extending the NHS app, opening health centres six days a week, and introducing new food and alcohol laws to improve public health. Starmer praised his team’s “tough choices” and said while things aren’t perfect, they’re on the right track.

But for people like Samina, it’s too little, too late. And unless Labour’s promises come with real changes, many fear the tragedies will continue. The Express has approached the Government for comment.

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