Concerns over stabbed Stapleford teen's care before hospital

Joe Whitchurch was found stabbed at a house in the early hours of 26 December

A surgeon has said a stabbed teenager should have gone straight to hospital rather than a surgical procedure being done en route, an inquest has heard.

Joe Whitchurch suffered a chest wound, piercing his heart, in December 2020.

Nottingham Coroner's Court heard the inquest would look into concerns about the 16-year-old's treatment before he arrived at hospital.

Surgeon Adam Brooks said there could have been "a better outcome" if he had received hospital care sooner.

The inquest heard Mr Whitchurch from Stapleford, Nottinghamshire, died on 29 December, three days after arriving in hospital, from hypoxic brain injury and a chest stab wound.

Assistant coroner Elizabeth Didcock said Mr Brooks had called for an investigation into this case and that of Ezekial Clarke who was treated on the side of the road after suffering two stab wounds.

'Futile treatment'

Mr Brooks, who treated Mr Whitchurch at the Queen's Medical Centre (QMC), said he had questions around the pre-hospital treatment and whether a delay in arriving at hospital could have been avoided.

He said: "If you are two minutes off the major trauma centre then you should continue to the centre and not stop at the scene.

"Whether it would have made any difference at all is unknown.

"From previous experience, if you can get someone to a major trauma centre it is going to lead to a better outcome."

He said in hospital there would have been access to blood, better equipment, more experienced practitioners and more staff to help to deal with the wound.

The inquest heard medical staff from East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) and The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) carried out a procedure at the scene known as resuscitative thoracotomy, where the chest is opened up.

It also heard the ambulance stopped for more than three minutes en route to the hospital for another surgical procedure to be done.

Mr Brooks said the ambulance had been just two minutes away from the QMC at this time and called the attempts to stop blood loss "futile".

Duncan Booth, clinical operations manager for EMAS, said there had been a "sense of urgency" and the team had carried out the procedures to "the best of [their] ability".

Emergency services were called to a house in Hickings Lane, Stapleford, in December 2020

The inquest also heard from pathologist Michael Biggs who said the teenager suffered cardiac arrests and severe brain damage due to the loss of oxygen and blood.

"He [Mr Whitchurch] was already in cardiac arrest when medical assistance arrived," he said.

"It's not possible to state with certainty at which point the brain damage would have been irreversible.

"Even with rapid medical intervention, there's no guarantee that a different outcome would have been achieved."

He said evidence of cocaine and cannabis use had been present during the post mortem examination.

Det Insp Steven Wragg, from Nottinghamshire Police, told the court Mr Whitchurch and two others had a "drink and drugs binge" starting on Christmas Day, before an argument in the early hours of the next day resulted in Mr Whitchurch being stabbed.

He said the two suspects had already delayed calling the police by moving drugs from kitchen and then "colluded" to tell officers lies when they arrived.

Jake Rollinson, 20, of Hickings Lane, Stapleford, has been convicted of Mr Whitchurch's murder and Lorna Richardson, 25, of Blake Road, Stapleford, pleaded guilty to committing an act with the intent to prevent the course of justice.

They will both be sentenced on Friday.

The inquest continues.

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