Latest news with #TomLeSauteur
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Jersey ambulance neglect caused Frazer Irvine's death
A man died after "inexcusable" neglect by two Jersey ambulance workers, a coroner has Irvine, 39, died of a heart attack on 18 March 2022 after he called John Sutherland and ambulance technician Tom Le Sauteur were previously found guilty of failing to take reasonable care of him the night he died. That verdict was upheld at an appeal her conclusions at the end of the inquest on Friday, coroner Bridget Dolan KC accepted the findings of the trial. She said Mr Irvine was not given the care and attention he was entitled to and that he should not have died. 'Gross neglect' Ms Dolan agreed with evidence from a medical expert who said basic clinical care from Sutherland and Le Sauteur would probably have saved Mr Irvine's said: "Had Frazer received the care that should have been provided to him, including putting him in the recovery position to protect his airway and taking action to assess and manage his airway, he would not have suffered a cardiac arrest and he would not have died."During the inquest, Sutherland and Le Sauteur suggested they might have been able to treat Mr Irvine differently had police responded to their calls for assistance quicker. Ms Dolan said she found that argument "all too speculative", particularly given the crew's "wholesale lack of any urgency" throughout the events of the said it was reasonable for the ambulance crew to call the police but it was their lack of action when they arrived that caused Mr Irvine's said, regardless of the fact Mr Irvine was aggressive before the police arrived, "such gross neglect of the patient was inexcusable". Addressing Mr Irvine's parents, Jim and Linda Irvine, Ms Dolan said she hoped the inquest had given them some coroner said having to listen to the inactions that caused their son's death was "one of the most difficult things a parent could contemplate".She apologised that, on top of their bereavement, they have had to go through several complex legal processes in Jersey, far away from their home in also commended PC Polly Wilton, one of the police officers who attended to Mr Irvine and raised concerns about his breathing and colour that were initially "dismissed" by Le Sauteur. After the inquest, Mr and Mrs Irvine said "there are no winners in this sort of situation".They said: "Anyone who has lost a child will understand the pain that we carry with us every day. "What makes Frazer's death harder to accept is that if timely, basic first aid had been attempted, he probably would have lived."They welcomed the fact that the States of Jersey Ambulance Service (SOJAS) had accepted all the recommendations of an external Serious Incident Review, but they called on Jersey's politicians to make sure these changes would be adequately said this was particularly important for the roll-out of body worn cameras, "not only for the protection of staff but in instances such as this for the protection of the patient". The coroner also raised concerns about the adequacy of some of the ambulance service's policies and procedures and challenged the policies of the island's emergency call said she was concerned about the lack of SOJAS guidance, policy and training to assist staff when facing violence and aggression. She said there should be a system in place to support crews when making difficult decisions, particularly when considering withdrawing care from violent said she was concerned about the way information was passed in the island's emergency control room, and that a new draft policy did not touch on the issues with said she was also concerned that cue cards for CPR exist for ambulance staff use but aren't currently used in BBC is waiting for comment from the Justice and Home Affairs minister, who is in charge of ambulance and police services.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Frazer Irvine inquest to look Jersey emergency services policies
A coroner is to consider the policies of emergency services as part of an inquest into the death of a 39 year-old John Sutherland and technician Tom Le Sauteur were found guilty of failing to take reasonable care of Frazer Irvine, whose March 2022 death is the subject of an inquest due to start on at a pre-inquest hearing on Monday, Bridget Dolan KC said the inquiry would look at the broad context and systems in which the police officers and ambulance staff present at Mr Irvine's death were made it clear the inquest would be "a wholly separate process to the criminal trial". Ms Dolan said it was going to be an Article 2 inquest - a broader type of hearing where there is potential an official or state body is in part responsible for the said the hearing would not challenge the trial's findings but it would address relevant matters that weren't dealt with in the criminal process, or weren't dealt with in sufficient said the trial never focused on what caused Mr Irvine's death so that would be for the inquest to determine, adding it was unusual for an inquest to happen after criminal setting out the scope of the inquest, Ms Dolan said she would consider whether there were any shortcomings in ambulance and police policies, guidance and procedures that were relevant to Mr Irvine's service to have an external investigation Dolan reassured Mr Irvine's parents, who were present at the hearing, their interests were integral to the process, acknowledging it had been "a long road" for inquest will hear evidence from Mr Sutherland and Mr Le Sauteur, as well as from two police officers present at Mr Irvine's is expected to conclude on Friday.
