Inquest in to the death of an elderly woman rules that her death was not criminal or suspicious in nature

A frail 81-year-old woman died during a six-hour, 200-mile journey to find her a suitable hospital bed, an inquest heard this week.

Peggy Copeman, of New Buckenham, died on the hard shoulder of the M11 on December 16, 2019, having become unresponsive while being transported on her second 200-mile journey in less than a week, from Taunton in Somerset, back to Norfolk.

Mrs Copeman had initially been ferried to Cygnet Hospital in Taunton to find a suitable psychiatric bed as none were available within the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust (NSFT).

Four days later, after a bed became available in Norfolk, she was transported back to the county by Premier Rescue Ambulance Service, but died around four hours in to the journey.

On the opening day of an inquest into her death at Norfolk Coroner’s Court in Norwich, daughter Maxine Fulcher spoke of her family’s “absolute heartbreak” and explained that she had already bought Christmas presents for her mother and was looking forward to giving them to her.

She added that her family “didn’t feel like they were being given the full picture” once Mrs Copeman had been transported to Somerset.

She also told the court that her family’s reservations about whether Mrs Copeman was fit for such a journey were dismissed by Cygnet Health Care.

The inquest heard evidence from staff members who accompanied Mrs Copeman, and from healthcare assistants who brought her to the waiting ambulance in Taunton.

Staff in the ambulance claimed that Mrs Copeman was not awake when she was brought to the waiting ambulance and had to be supported as she boarded. They added that she did not resist and did not wake throughout the journey, only making groaning sounds.

Healthcare assistants Elaine Pinn and Emily Sanderson, however, maintained that Mrs Copeman was awake and actively resisted their attempts to help her board the ambulance.

Some three to four hours in to the journey, ambulance driver Rory McKenna said he called 999 when support staff Mrs Copeman noticed that she had stopped breathing.

After pulling on to the hard shoulder of the M11, Mr McKenna, who left Premier Rescue Ambulance Service shortly after the incident, proceeded to give CPR with staff member Trudy Nanyunja until emergency services arrived.

Gemma Daly, acting for Mrs Copeman’s family, told the court that call records showed a staff member called Cygnet first, at 2.26pm, before the 999 call was made by Mr McKenna at 2.27pm.

At around 3pm, shortly after paramedics and police had arrived, Mrs Copeman was declared dead.

During his evidence, Mr McKenna, who had only basic first aid training, said that concerns about transporting a woman as old as Mrs Copeman had crossed his mind, and that they usually transported younger, more active patients.

He offered his “heartfelt condolences” to the family of Mrs Copeman, as he finished giving his evidence.

The Care Quality Commission de-registered Premier Rescue Ambulance Service earlier this month.

Concluding the inquest, Senior Coroner Jacqueline Lake said: "Having concluded investigation in to the death, I have determined on balance of probability, in my opinion, death of Peggy Copeman is not a crime and this death is not suspicious or criminal in nature."

The inquest was set to conclude yesterday.