Maggie Black: Inquest to be held into five-year-old's death
- Published
Five-year-old Maggie Black from Glenarm died in December after she had been feeling unwell for several days
An inquest is to be held into the death of a five-year-old girl who died after falling suddenly ill at her home.
Maggie Black died in December 2021 after waiting for more than an hour for an ambulance to arrive in Glenarm, County Antrim.
The inquest, to be held on 11 November, will look at waiting times at emergency departments and within the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS).
The NIAS, health trusts and Maggie's family are due to give evidence.
The coroner Joe McCrisken also said he will also look at an initiative called Maggie's Call, which was established after the child's death.
It sees firefighters called out to cardiac arrest emergencies to assist in administering life-saving treatment.
Maggie died after waiting for more than an hour for an ambulance to arrive
Following Maggie's death, her family said they had to call upon a relative who was a local firefighter for help, after the ambulance did not arrive.
They said that while Maggie was given the best available support at that time, others would not be as lucky to receive emergency medical assistance during the crucial 'golden hour'.
The incident is what led to the establishment of Maggie's Call.
Earlier this year, the NIFRS was threatened with legal action by the Fire Brigades Union over work associated with the scheme.
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