A coroner has criticised the “minimal” training and lack of basic medical kit provided by a private ambulance firm after a teenager died following a music gig at Dreamland in Margate.
Seventeen-year-old Emily Stokes collapsed after taking drugs at the Worried About Henry festival in June last year, but an inquest heard there were serious delays in recognising how unwell she was, and in getting her to hospital.
A new report to prevent future deaths has now been issued by coroner Katrina Hepburn, who found the private crew lacked proper equipment and experience, and failed to warn medics at QEQM Hospital that Emily was on her way.
She said: “It was in essence very little more than a means of transport from the venue to the hospital and may have given a false sense of reassurance.”
The report was presented to Kent Central Ambulance Service (KCAS), which was subcontracted to work at the event.
Pointing out her matters of concern, Coroner Hepburn said: “The training of the staff involved was minimal.
“The evidence heard indicated that they had a qualification called First Response Emergency Care level 4, which was a five-day course, and had little experience or training in relation to the management of patients having taken drugs.
“Given that the teams on site were present and ambulances available at a music event where the risk of drug taking was deemed to be high, more training should have been provided to assist the staff in how to safely manage those under the influence of illicit substances.”
She also noted the lack of a pre-alert to QEQM Hospital, to warn staff that a sick patient was on the way.
At the inquest in April, which recorded Emily’s death as drug-related, evidence was given by Daniel Peddle and Rachel Clifton, who transported Emily to the hospital.
Mr Peddle said they have to obtain permission from the clinician who is ordering the transport in order to put on blue lights or pre-alert the hospital.
However, Chris Young, the managing director of Integrated Medical Services – which was hired by Dreamland and subcontracted KCAS – said it was the responsiblity of the medics in the ambulance to make the call.
Coroner Hepburn said: “There was a lack of clarity regarding who had responsibility for making a pre-alert call to the hospital, and given that this young girl was significantly unwell, this should have been done.”
She also pointed out the lack of medical facilities in the private transport.
At the inquest, it was revealed the vehicle did not have any drugs on board which could have assisted Emily’s condition.
The staff only had the facilities for “immediate life support such as airway management and CPR”, as they are usually tasked with transferring patients from hospital to hospital.
“In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths, and I believe you, Kent Central Ambulance Service, have the power to take such action,” she said.
Since the tragic incident on June 29, 2024, Dreamland has hired a different medical provider, which in turn uses a different ambulance service.
The report was released publicly yesterday, but was issued on May 19.
KCAS has responded and outlined various changes it has implemented.
It recognised that staff need a higher level of training for high-risk events where drug-taking is expected.
A risk assessment is now carried out before events to determine the level of training needed, and for those deemed high-risk, an experienced team – with knowledge of how to deal with drug overdoses – will be deployed.
Furthermore, crews will receive refresher training on pre-alert criteria and documentation, with emphasis on patient safety as the guiding principle.
They will also be empowered to – if in doubt – pre-alert independently or escalate any concerns to on-site medics.
A pre-event vehicle checklist to ensure uniformity and accountability in equipment preparation has also been implemented, and a clinical inventory standard is being developed and benchmarked against NHS specifications to ensure parity wherever possible.
A spokesperson for KCAS added: “This incident and the coroner’s findings will be used as a formal case study for internal learning.
“We recognise the tragic nature of this incident and the need for continued service improvement.”
At the Worried About Henry drum ‘n’ bass event last year, 21 other young people were taken to hospital.
Kent Police declared a major incident, but did not stop the show to avoid public disorder.
The same event was held this year, and KentOnline was in attendance.
The gig was shut down, reportedly due to drug taking, drinking and the hot weather, and a man in his 20s died after attending.
A spokesman for the theme park said afterwards: “We are supporting the emergency services’ enquiries.
“Our thoughts are with the man’s friends and family at this difficult, sad time.”
