Inquest into the death of SP

Case Number: 2018/213031 

Date of Findings: 18 February 2022

Magistrate: Deputy State Coroner, Magistrate Derek Lee

Catchwords: CORONIAL LAW – missing or absconded patient, searches by NSW Ambulance and the NSW Police Force, cancellation of search, no need to attend, ProQA script, telephony standard operating procedures, reason for requesting police attendance, communication between emergency response agencies.

Responses

Recommendations

To the Commissioner of the NSW Police Force:

1. I recommend to the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force (NSWPF) that training be provided to NSWPF Communications Officers as to:
   (a) how to decipher the ProQA script and understand its purpose for NSW Ambulance (NSWA);
   (b) the extent to which it may or may not be relied upon by the NSWPF when responding to an incident; and
   (c) to be alert to the fact that NSWA are required to include in “free text” communications the reasons for requesting the attendance of the NSWPF.