Wetherspoons pub chain considers CPR training after customer death

The Lord Caradoc pub in Port Talbot is one of 51 the pub chain owns in Wales

Pub chain Wetherspoons is considering a request to promote CPR training among staff after the death of a customer.

Christopher Locke, 37, suffered a cardiac arrest in the Lord Caradoc, Port Talbot, in October 2021, and died two days later in Morriston Hospital, Swansea.

Following an inquest last month, a coroner urged the company to offer CPR training to staff who are interested.

Wetherspoons said it would respond by 19 October as the coroner requested.

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The chain owns 51 pubs in Wales and 800 across the UK and Ireland.

During Mr Locke's inquest, the coroner was told staff at the pub dialled 999 and followed instructions given to them by the call handler.

However, they were not told to undertake cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

Paramedics arrived eight minutes later and took over, and Mr Locke's circulation was eventually restored.

But his brain had been without oxygen for 20 minutes and he died from a brain injury caused by lack of oxygen.

Pub staff commended for actions

Following the inquest, the assistant coroner for Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot Aled Gruffydd issued a Prevention for Future deaths notice.

Writing to Wetherspoons, he said CPR training should be made available to staff who want to do it.

"No failings were found against the staff who attended to Christopher that evening and they ought to be commended for their actions," he said.

"It is understood that compulsory training has been given to all Wetherspoons staff to enable them to comply with EMD (Emergency Medical Dispatcher) instructions. This compulsory training did not extend to CPR training.

"I am concerned that in such cases bar staff at pubs will invariably find themselves in situations where the administering of emergency CPR treatment ought to be administered.

"It is not the purpose of this report to compel your organisation to provide CPR training to its staff but to make such training available to staff who express an interest."

Wetherspoons spokesman Eddie Gershon said: "We are considering that response and are unable to provide any further comment at this stage."