Alerts 'can put end to 111 delays'

THE DOMINION POST

FINDING'S RELIEF: Kari Lloyd, partner of Bret Collings, wanted St John to make public the problems that happened.

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A coroner's report that criticised the handling of a 111 call after the death of a Wellington motorcyclist will save lives, his grieving partner says.

Palmerston North coroner Carla na Nagara ruled yesterday that human error and a failure to follow correct procedures led to an "unacceptable" delay in the arrival of paramedics to Brett Collings' crash.

Ms na Nagara ruled that there was no evidence that those delays caused Mr Collings' death.

"However, the delays were unacceptable, and in other cases 20 minutes may well be the quantifiable difference between life and death."

Mr Collings, 59, died on November 8 last year after he failed to take a corner on State Highway 43 between Taumarunui and Stratford, clipped a fence and crashed off his motorbike about 4pm. He lay injured on the road, conscious and talking, for more than 1½ hours before he fell into unconsciousness and was pronounced dead by a doctor at the scene at 6.15pm.

Mr Collings' partner, Kari Lloyd, said yesterday she was relieved at the coroner's findings.

"I wanted them [St John] to make public the problems that happened."

A report by Central Emergency Communications Ltd – a joint venture by St John and Wellington Free Ambulance – into the incident found at least eight errors contributed to the delay in an ambulance reaching Mr Collings.

Ms na Nagara ruled that Mr Collings died from shock and severe chest and abdominal injuries.

She endorsed the 14 recommendations that CECL made in its report into the incident. The ruling also requested that CECL look into creating an alert system that escalates a call to a team leader if it takes 30 seconds longer than the average call time of about three minutes.

The first 111 call to get help for Mr Collings lasted for more than eight minutes.

"Such escalation should involve the team leader intervening to review steps taken and assist the efficient conclusion of the call," Ms na Nagara said.

Ms Lloyd said the new system sounded fantastic. "There is not a doubt in my mind that this will save lives. Fresh ears make all the difference. If it saves one person, then Brett died for something."

CECL director Tony Blaber said the feasibility of the technology required to achieve call escalation had been investigated. It was expected that it would be in place within three months.

Mr Blaber said a range of improvements had been implemented since the investigation, including comprehensive improvements to the training programme for staff in Emergency Ambulance Communications Centres in taking calls and finding locations and the appointment of a national training co-ordinator.

It had also contributed to the introduction of a new website – www.myaddress.co.nz – to which members of the public could add useful information to help emergency services locate addresses, including local or colloquial names for roads.

- © Fairfax NZ News