Family of 31-year-old Corby man pay tribute to 'loveable rogue' after his 'avoidable' death and vow to raise awareness
The family of a Corby man, who died after mistakes were made after a 999 call to his home didn’t pick up a fatal heart condition, have issued a plea to ensure the same doesn’t happen to anyone else.
On Tuesday, January 28, an inquest determined mistakes made by the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff led to the death of Peter Robertson Hynd in 2023.
His family has urged those who are being treated by an ambulance crew to speak up if they feel the care they are getting is lacking, and to be vigilant about what an ECG reading means, and to be conscious about what an abnormal ECG reading can lead to.
Leigh Macgivern, Peter’s mother, attended the coroner’s court hearing on January 28, and read aloud a family impact statement, in which she called him ‘kind, caring’ and ‘very loveable’.
Leigh said: “As a family we are devastated, he had his whole life ahead of him. He was a kind, caring, very loveable, and so appreciative all his life. He wasn't perfect, he was a loveable rogue.
"We are all devastated by his death, we are never going to get over this. I have to watch his little boy, who is the image of him, grow up without a daddy.”
Peter’s father, who himself was once a first responder said to the court: "The trauma of Peter’s death haunts me daily.
"The misinterpretation of the ECG was catastrophic, Peter’s death has destroyed my life.”
Paul Mcgivern, Leigh’s partner and Peter’s stepfather said: “As far as he was concerned it was a muscular problem, that’s all he knew.
“I think it’s wrong to send two technicians to something like a chest pain problem.”
31-year-old Peter, from Corby, had reported chest pains, and was seen by technicians from EMAS. It was heard at the inquest, however, that staff failed to inform him of the seriousness of his condition when they were on the scene on August 8, 2023, and that he should have been taken to hospital in an ambulance immediately instead of going now his own volition.
Peter had set off with his father, however had turned back to return home, and was found the next morning unresponsive by his partner. He was pronounced dead on the morning of August 9.
On behalf of Peter’s family, mum Leigh added: "I feel ambulance crews that come out and do these ECGs are making decisions that essentially can be the difference between life and death, I understand that resources are tight.
“I didn’t know they weren’t paramedics, I’ve always thought that people who turn up in green were paramedics, but they’re not.”
"My conclusion is that there is a serious issue with how qualified ambulance crews attending to patients exhibiting chest pains, and their ability to correctly interpret ECG findings.
"Peter was attended to by two technicians who who were not up to date with mandatory training at the time, and didn’t seek and senior clinician advice on his care.
“People, especially young people, are needlessly dying because of being treated by undertrained ambulance crews.
“We now intend to stand side by side with affected families, and fight in the memory of our children to improve the standard of care given by ambulance crews to patients exhibiting chest pains.”
Leigh, alongside the family, has been in contact with the family of Lauren Page-Smith, from Wolverhampton, who died in January 2023 from an Acute Myocardial Infarction after an ECG conducted the morning of her death was abnormal, but incorrectly interpreted.
An inquest in November 2023 heard that West Midlands ambulance crew said there was no cause for concern after misinterpreting the ECG, and have admitted liability for the failings that resulted in her death. The Report to Prevent Future Deaths after the inquest noted that both the attending paramedic and technician reported the ECG as ‘normal’ to Lauren, who based on that information declined to attend hospital, and later died after a blood clot lead to an Acute Myocardial Infarction.
West Midlands Ambulance Service admitted that Lauren likely would have survived had they taken her to hospital straight away.
The similarities between the circumstances of Peter and Lauren’s deaths has caused Peter’s family to appeal for a more comprehensive approach to attending calls relating to chest pain.