The family of Christine Lawrenson has shown remarkable tolerance following her tragic death.
In an era where society increasingly looks for scapegoats, they have not, and it’s to their credit.
Not only do they not blame the paramedic who wrongly pronounced their mother as dead, they have graciously thanked police who discovered that she was not.
However, many people will remain baffled by the ambulance policy that was in place at that time. Namely that paramedics were not allowed to touch a patient while checking for vital signs.
Whether those policies have now been changed is hardly reassuring. The fact it was ever in place will seem inexplicable to most.
Surely checking if someone is alive or dead should be as thorough and rigorous as possible - given the seriousness of an inaccurate pronouncement
Among the first things most lay people would do if they suspected someone was not breathing, would be to hold their wrist to check for a pulse, or place an ear to their chest to listen for a heartbeat.
It seems unfathomable that the procedure was not more robust and you have to wonder what the justification was for such a rule?
From this distance, it looks like an obstacle to the job of saving lives.
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