A television producer left permanently disabled after paramedics pressed the wrong button on a defibrillator during a cardiac arrest has received an undisclosed payout from the NHS.
Devastating Consequences of a Critical Error
Meg Fozzard has been left with permanent disabilities as a result of her brain being starved of oxygen when ambulance crews delayed a life-saving electric shock by eight minutes because they failed to use a defibrillator properly. Ms Fozzard, who was just 26 at the time, collapsed at her home in Walworth, South London, struggling to breathe and fitting as she went into cardiac arrest in April 2019.
Her partner, Xander Font Freide, dialled 999 and was instructed to start CPR immediately. However, when ambulance crews arrived after difficulty finding the flat, they did not believe Ms Fozzard was in cardiac arrest, despite warnings from the emergency call handler minutes earlier.
Equipment Failure and Delayed Response
A defibrillator indicated that Ms Fozzard had a deadly heart rhythm requiring an immediate shock. But because paramedics had attached the wrong equipment, the device failed to alert them that a shock was needed. Even then, crews pressed the wrong button on the machine, known as a LifePak, delaying its emergency mode for another four minutes. There was an eight-minute delay before Ms Fozzard received an electric shock to her heart, which London Ambulance Service NHS Trust has since admitted.
Ms Fozzard suffered a brain injury as a consequence of the cardiac arrest. She now struggles with her speech, suffers from fatigue, and requires a wheelchair. She has received an undisclosed settlement from the ambulance service, which has admitted breaches in their duty of care.
Life-Altering Impact
Ms Fozzard, now 33, said: 'It's almost impossible to find the words to describe the physical and emotional impact of trying to come to terms with what happened. At first I had no idea but as the severity of my brain injury became more apparent the realisation started to sink in. That moment of being in hospital and realising my life was never going to be the same was tough, I really struggled with that.'
Before her injury, she was independent, able to hop on a train or fly across the world to visit friends. Now she relies on others for daily tasks and even struggles to communicate her needs due to speech difficulties. The cardiac arrest occurred because of an undiagnosed underlying heart condition. She does not remember waking up in hospital and was unable to work for 14 months.
Ms Fozzard also experiences brain fog, lack of dexterity, and involuntary limb spasms. However, with payments secured by lawyers, she accessed speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. She can now stand for up to an hour, her speech and cognitive abilities have improved, and she has returned to part-time work as a freelance producer focusing on disability rights.
She added: 'I do aerial sports now, I'm learning to swim again. It's been amazing because I thought these were things I'd never be able to do again. I know I've a long way to go but I finally feel like I'm getting back to being the person I was before. However, I'll always be upset at the care I received when I was in desperate need so it's vital action is taken to improve patient safety for others.'
Partner's Account
Recalling the moment he found his partner struggling to breathe, Mr Font Freide, 32, a charity coordinator, said: 'I was sat at my computer and I heard Megan making a strange gasping, croaky noise, then her complexion started changing rapidly. She became extremely pale. Meg's eyes were open but she wasn't responding to me talking to her. I knew something was terribly wrong with Meg, potentially life-threateningly wrong.'
He continued: 'I was on the phone to a 999 call operator who was talking me through performing CPR until the ambulance crews arrived. When they arrived I was just hoping they'd help Meg but everything seemed confused and chaotic. When Meg got to hospital she was under very heavy sedation and I was told that they were keeping Meg cool and keeping an eye on brain swelling from the trauma. It was an incredibly difficult time for everyone and we were desperately hoping Meg would pull through. I continue to be amazed by Meg and the bravery and determination she has shown to start reclaiming her life.'
Legal and NHS Response
Leena Savjani, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Ms Fozzard, said: 'The last few years and coming to terms with the life-changing repercussions of Meg's cardiac arrest have been incredibly difficult for her and her loved ones. Following investigations, incredibly worrying and basic failings have been admitted in Meg's care. While Meg has made tremendous progress in her recovery through access to rehab, she still faces many challenges. Nothing can make up for what she's been through but this settlement allows Meg to focus on her future and importantly means she will have access to specialist lifetime support she requires to make the best recovery possible. However, it's vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety for others. Every second counts when trying to resuscitate someone suffering a cardiac arrest.'
London Ambulance Service stated that LifePaks are specialist machines used by medical professionals to monitor vital signs and provide defibrillator capabilities, different from automated external defibrillators that require no training. The service's Chief Medical Officer, Dr Fenella Wrigley, said: 'On behalf of London Ambulance Service, I sincerely apologise that the care provided to Ms Fozzard that day in 2019 did not meet the standard we expect. In the weeks following this 999 call, we conducted a thorough review to learn the lessons that led to Ms Fozzard's defibrillation being delayed. The learnings from the review were all implemented at the time and our ways of working have been changed.'
