Paramedic cautioned over Berkshire girl's heart death

Lilly-May was later found to have a genetic condition leading to an irregular heartbeat

A paramedic who did not use a defibrillator on a girl who collapsed at a school and later died has been cautioned after a tribunal.

Lilly-May Page-Bowden, five, suffered a cardiac arrest at Willow Bank School in Woodley, Berkshire, in May 2014.

A misconduct hearing heard Channon Jacobs did not use a defibrillator which was "key in saving someone's life".

A panel said there was a "serious failing of standard of care expected".

In May 2014, Lilly-May collapsed in the school playground and two mothers, who were nurses, started performing CPR.

The tribunal in London heard records from equipment showed a five-minute delay between the ambulance's arrival and the crew monitoring the schoolgirl's heart.

Ms Jacobs decided not to use a defibrillator.

Lilly-May collapsed Willow Bank School in Woodley in 2014

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) panel said the caution will stay on her record on the paramedics register for five years.

Ms Jacobs was not legally represented. Instead the tribunal received a note from her doctors saying her health might be affected if she did turn up in person.

Vicki Harris, chair of the panel, said: "Taking no action would not have been appropriate and there was a serious failing of standard of care expected."

She said the panel opted to caution Ms Jacobs because her "misconduct was not minor in nature but was isolated in an otherwise unblemished career".

A coroner previously ruled a defibrillator could have saved Lilly-May's life.