The Care Quality Commission has suspended the activities of Premier Ambulance Rescue Services, a private ambulance company, because of concerns that “people using the service may be exposed to the risk of harm”. The decision was made following an inspection of the organisation, prompted in part by the death of Peggy Copeman, an 81 year old lady. Peggy suffered a fatal cardiac arrest in the back of a private ambulance during a transfer from Somerset to Norfolk. Advice from mental health professionals to ensure that she was on a stretcher was ignored, and she was kept sitting upright for the 6 ½ hour journey. There was also no defibrillator in the van and the staff did not know how to perform CPR correctly when Peggy stopped breathing. We hope that lessons are learned from this tragic situation and the treatment of the elderly and vulnerable improves as a result.
