Thomas Mayhew

I heard expert evidence from a Consultant Intensive Care Physician, who explained that there is a limited window of time (approximately ten minutes) during which emergency life-saving treatment can be provided to a person who has applied a ligature, such that cerebral hypoxia may be prevented. Cerebral hypoxia, if not reversed, may ultimately lead to cardiac arrest and death. The expert confirmed that if medical intervention is delivered within this critical period, death may be prevented.

The expert further confirmed that a person who has applied a ligature may appear deceased to an observer, for example, displaying no movement and being unconscious, while nevertheless remaining within that ten-minute window during which the outcome may still be altered. I also heard evidence regarding the Public Emergency Call Service Code of Practice (“PECS”). I was told that where a member of the public contacts emergency services to report the discovery of an apparently deceased person, the call would likely be directed to the police in line with the PECS. In addition, I heard that where a caller is unsure which emergency service they require, the operator must connect the caller to the police, in accordance with a request made by the National Police Chiefs’ Council.

Having considered the expert evidence, I am of the view that in these critical circumstances every second is of importance. The process of routing a caller to the police, who may then refer the matter to the ambulance service and/or instruct an ambulance to attend, carries a risk that valuable minutes may be lost.