M11 death: Peggy Copeman 'died between staff who missed health issues'

Peggy Copeman was being transported from Somerset to Norfolk when she died

A grandmother died sitting between staff who failed to spot she was having serious health problems during a hospital transfer, a report said.

Peggy Copeman, 81, died on a motorway hard shoulder while being returned to Norfolk from an out-of-area placement in Somerset in December 2019.

Only one staff member escorting her had CPR training, and none recognised she was in difficulty, the report said.

Premier Rescue Ambulance Service (PRAS) has been contacted for comment.

Mrs Copeman, of New Buckenham, Norfolk, was transported to Taunton's specialist Cygnet Hospital for mental health treatment on 12 December 2019, and was returning four days later when she died.

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said last year that following Mrs Copeland's death it would no longer allow "frail and older" patients to be sent out of the county for care.

Norfolk's senior coroner Jacqueline Lake has taken the step of issuing a prevention of future deaths report to PRAS, prior to the full inquest later this month.

Mrs Copeman's daughter Maxine Fulcher and her husband Nick have both previously spoken about their need for answers

Ms Lake said that during the journey on the M11, Mrs Copeman had "altered breathing" and was later unresponsive.

She said an expert witness was "of the firm view that the staff transporting Mrs Copeman did not recognise she was in respiratory distress and/or cardiac arrest and that she had effectively died whilst sat between them".

She said the evidence heard so far found: "Peggy did not respond when being called or when moving her head and on being noted as being unresponsive, emergency services were not called immediately but calls were initially made to Cygnet and then PRAS.

"CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) was started on being told to do so by emergency services."

The report states that paramedics who attended noted CPR was ineffective because of the position Mrs Copeman was in.

Ms Lake said that the PRAS compliance manager had concluded, in a statement from May 2021, that "'the ambulance was adequately staffed to enable the journey to be safely carried out', despite only one member of staff being trained in CPR contrary to [its own policy]".

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