THERE was a “good chance” that a man who died in the care of paramedics would have survived if steps had been taken by ambulance staff to make sure his airways were clear before he went into cardiac arrest, a professor has told an inquest into the man’s death.
Professor Charles Deakin, an honorary professor of resuscitation at the University of Southampton whose reports were used as part of criminal proceedings against paramedics John Sutherland and Tom Le Sauteur, described the point that Frazer Irvine’s colour changed – turning “dusky”, indicating a lack of oxygen to his system – as the “last chance”.
Mr Sutherland and Tom Le Sauteur were convicted last year of failing to provide reasonable care to 39-year-old Mr Irvine, who went into cardiac arrest and died in March 2022 after calling 999 following an overdose.
“Once cardiac arrest has occurred the chances of survival are slim,” said Prof Deakin, adding that there was an estimated 5% survival rate.
The professor told the inquest that while it was “difficult to be exact”, he thought there would have been a “good chance of Fraser surviving” if measures had been taken to ensure his airways were not obstructed in the minutes before it was noticed that he had changed colour.
Prof Deakin said signs of “significant clinical deterioration” were missed and there were “delays in time critical interventions”, including not placing Mr Irvine into the recovery position.
The professor said: “The position in the body-worn footage video was not a recognised recovery position in any shape or form.”
He also told the inquest that a States police officer who arrived at the scene after the paramedics requested back-up, reporting that Mr Irvine was being aggressive towards them, demonstrated “clinical observations” which “exceeded” that of the ambulance staff present.
Prof Deakin said Police Constable Polly Wilton showed “care and compassion” to Mr Irvine, offering to get him a pillow, moving his head so it was not overhanging a step on the balcony in the flat and ultimately commenting on the change in Mr Irvine’s appearance which was a sign of further deterioration.
“I was very impressed. She did an absolutely outstanding job through the entire sequence of very challenging events,” he said.
A post-mortem report from forensic pathologist Amanda Jeffrey, who watched the bodyworn footage, highlighted an apparent “absence” of clinical observation and airway management leading up to Mr Irvine’s cardiac arrest.
The inquest is due to conclude on Friday.
