FAI to be held into Scottish Ambulance Service response to two Covid-19 deaths

A fatal accident inquiry is to be held into the ambulance service’s response to two people who died of Covid.

Margaret Cawkwell and Shivraj Partab Singh both died from the virus in 2021.

Mrs Cawkwell was discharged from hospital on January 2, 2021 after being treated for Covid.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) then attended the 63-year-old’s home on January 7 due to concerns about low oxygen saturation levels.

She was not taken to hospital.

Mrs Cawkwell’s condition subsequently deteriorated and she was re-admitted to hospital on January 14.

She died three days later.

The SAS attended the home of Shivraj Partab Singh on July 5, 2021, after he tested positive for Covid in June.

Concerns were raised over the 34-year-old’s breathing and low oxygen saturation levels. He was also not taken to hospital.

The next day, Mr Singh collapsed at home.

Emergency crews attended and resuscitation efforts were undertaken, but he was pronounced dead later that evening.

A preliminary hearing for an FAI into both Mrs Cawkwell and Mr Singh’s deaths is set for September 21 at Falkirk Sheriff Court.

It is anticipated the focus of the FAI will be on the assessment and treatment of Mrs Cawkwell and Mr Singh and the systems and procedures in place within the Scottish Ambulance Service for assessing Covid-19 patients and determining whether escalation to hospital admission was required.

The purpose of a Fatal Accident Inquiry (FAI) includes determining the cause of death; the circumstances in which the deaths occurred, and to establish what, if any, reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of future deaths in similar circumstances.

Unlike criminal proceedings, FAIs are used to establish facts rather than to apportion blame.

 Procurator Fiscal Andy Shanks, who leads on fatalities investigations for the Crown Office Prosecution Service, said: “The Lord Advocate considers that the deaths of Margaret Cawkwell and Shivraj Partab Singh occurred in circumstances giving rise to serious public concern and as such a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry should be held.

“An FAI will allow a full public airing of the evidence of the procurator fiscal’s wider investigations with interested parties.

“The evidence will be tested in a public setting and be the subject of an independent judicial determination.”