Kirk Williams
14 Nov 2014 · Coroner Sam Faulks · Teesside
The coroner's concerns
1. detainees with excited delirium not taken to hospital
“Police officers in Cleveland doubtless receive training about Excited Delirium and now understand in a way that they perhaps previously did not that the condition should be treated as a 'medical emergency' which thereby requires the detainee's attendance at a hospital”
2. refusal to treat violent patients in A&E
“Some police officers still consider that notwithstanding that they may be faced with a medical emergency, A&E departments will not treat violent or aggressive patients”
3. mismatch in perception between police and A&E staff
“It therefore follows that there is a mismatch in perception and expectations between Cleveland police officers and local A&E staff”
4. lack of dialogue between police and A&E
“There does not appear to be a dialogue between Cleveland Constabulary and local A&E departments to address these particular misunderstandings or misconceptions”
5. absence of formal agreement on aggressive detainee transfer
“There does not appear to be any memorandum of understanding or guideline to cover aggressive detainees in police custody being taken to A&E departments”
6. ambiguity in response to aggressive medical emergencies
“Without a fuller understanding of the true position, police officers will continue to be faced with the perennial dichotomy of whether to take an aggressive medical emergency detainee to an A&E department for treatment or to a police station to prevent self harm or harm to others”