THE family of the woman at the centre of a wrangle over air ambulances in Warrington say they have still not heard from the authorities involved, more than a week after the story hit the headlines.

In last Friday's GUARDIAN, the family of Julie Donaldson complained that they had never been told the real reasons for a four hour delay when she was transferred between hospitals in May this year.

A report leaked to the Press last week alleged that the delay, as Julie suffered from liver failure and waited for a transplant, occurred because Mersey Regional Ambulance boss David Todhunter refused to allow her to be carried on a commercial helicopter and insisted she wait for an RAF aircraft.

Julie died four days after receiving the transplant at St James' Hospital, Leeds. Although there is no suggestion that the delay contibuted to her death, her family said they were disgusted that the first they knew of the reasons for the delay were when they saw Mr Todhunter being interviewed on the television last week.

Following the article last Friday, the GUARDIAN was contacted by NHS Executive North West spokesman Hugh Lamont asking for an address for Mrs Donaldson's family.

But on Tuesday this week, they had still not heard anything from the authorities. Julie's brother-in-law Stuart said: "We are going to go through the official channels ourselves to contact the relevant people at Merseyside Ambulance, Warrington Hospital and NHS North West to express our displeasure that we have never been informed.

"We will also send copies to Helen Southworth MP, Doug Hoyle and the Secretary of State for Health."

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