“Neglect” and an “extremely serious failure” by paramedics led to the death of a 39-year-old man from a cardiac arrest, an inquest has concluded.
Frazer Irvine died at his flat in March 2022 after calling 999, with a five-day inquest concluding today that neglect by paramedics John Sutherland and Tom Le Sauteur ultimately caused his death.
Speaking after the inquest’s conclusion, Mr Irvine’s mother Linda said her son’s death had been “harder to accept” as if basic first aid had been attempted he “probably would have lived”.
Mr Irvine’s case also raised wider issues about a lack of policies and procedures in the ambulance service for how to manage “difficult” situations and about “inadequate” information being relayed between ambulance staff and the police, Coroner Bridget Dolan said.
Mr Sutherland and Mr Le Sauteur were convicted of failing to provide reasonable care to Mr Irvine following a trial last year.
On 18 March three years ago, the pair called for police back-up after describing Mr Irvine as “aggressive” when they arrived at his flat – but by the time the police got there, the 39-year-old was lying on the floor and unresponsive in his own vomit.
“Leaving him like that was a gross failure to provide him with the most basic care,” summed up Coroner Dolan, describing it as an “extremely serious failure” by the ambulance crew.
Had Frazer received the care that should have been provided to him […] he would not have suffered a cardiac arrest and he would not have died
Coroner Bridget Dolan
She 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.
“His death was a result of his neglect by the ambulance crew.”
Mrs Irvine said in a statement after the inquest: “There are no winners in this sort of situation.
“Anyone who has lost a child will understand the pain that we carry with us every day.”
Frazer suffered from anxiety and probably drank too much but this does not mean he should be treated differently to any other member of the public when he asked for help
linda irvine
Attempts by the paramedics to portray her son as a “violent thug” could not be “further from the truth”, she added.
“Frazer suffered from anxiety and probably drank too much but this does not mean he should be treated differently to any other member of the public when he asked for help.”
Mrs Irvine noted that the Jersey ambulance service had accepted all the recommendations of a serious case review but added that politicians “must provide the funding to ensure this can be achieved”.