Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 187; Flight Crew Total 8937; Flight Crew Type 1467
Communication Breakdown; Other / Unknown
Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
Just prior to Top of Descent; got a call from the Flight Attendants (FA) saying that a woman had passed out and they had called for help. I gathered information that she was a 64 year old female; with husband; and takes BP and cholesterol medication. She was attended to by EMT and FAs on board. I called Dispatch and got a phone patch to [ground-based medical personnel]. While waiting we increased speed as we were starting our descent anyway. Passenger regained consciousness. Still waiting for [ground-based] doctor but since we were getting deeper into the arrival I asked Dispatch to notify them what was going on; that we would be [advising ATC of] a medical emergency and landing in 20 min. Returned to Pilot Flying role and asked First Officer to [advise ATC] which he did. Approach and landing was normal. Arrived at gate to find no medical personnel. Queried the company ops who said they had called 3 times. Then called ground who said that they called the company and was told by the company that we would be calling for the paramedics. I called Dispatch who said he would call them. [Advised dispatch about an hour and a half before] we blocked in. Plenty of time to have medical attention called and ready. This would have been tragic if the medical event was time critical.
B737 Captain reported he was disappointed there was no medical response team awaiting his arrival at the gate with an ill passenger even though he asked for them an hour and a half earlier.