26 Aug 2016 Kyle William Lowes · Prevention of Future Deaths report North Northumberland
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Concerns raised 2 Lack of assured paramedic crew availability during meal breaks after 10.00 p.m. in Berwick-upon-Tweed View source Insufficient local ambulance crew availability when the single Berwick crew is deployed out of area after 10.00 p.m. View source
Actions described in response An action is something this recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised. 2
Action
Agree exceptional redeployment of community paramedics to fill significant service gaps or respond to life-threatening emergencies.
View source
Action
Review Alnwick and Berwick services with providers to align capacity and use healthcare professionals appropriately.
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AI-generated summary
Kyle William Lowes · Prevention of Future Deaths report
This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.
Report summary
Kyle William Lowes, aged 16, died after his motor scooter collided with a car in Berwick-upon-Tweed on 30 January 2015. Emergency response was delayed because the nearby Berwick ambulance crew was on a meal break, requiring a paramedic to travel from Wooler; the report raised concerns about delayed responses to life-threatening incidents in Berwick-upon-Tweed when only one crew is available or is outside the area.
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× Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Lack of assured paramedic crew availability during meal breaks after 10.00 p.m. in Berwick-upon-Tweed
Wider context from the report “The new Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital now make better provision for the County of Northumberland as a whole, but extends still further the long journey times for emergency care from Berwick-upon-Tweed, a sizeable border town, with a population which trebles throughout the tourist season because of its location as a holiday destination. By having only one paramedic crew after 10.00 p.m., if that crew is on a meal break , or as they regularly need to do, attend duties in another part of the County, risk is created to the population of Berwick-upon-Tweed by significant delays in attending life threatening incidents after 10.00 p.m., as there was in Kyle’s case.
I was informed at the Inquest that NEAS are introducing a scheme whereby paramedic crews will be asked at the start of each shift whether they are willing to be contacted for emergency calls during their meal breaks, which might go some way towards helping to resolve the concerns but does not provide any certainty while resting only on the goodwill and agreement of ambulance personnel . This proposal for response to emergency calls during meal breaks would also not address the risk of delayed response times when the single Berwick ambulance crew after 10.00 p.m. is called upon for duties out of the area.
” Open source report × Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. The report was sent to NHS Northumberland Clinical Commissioning Group; that does not assign responsibility.
PFD Monitor interpretation Insufficient local ambulance crew availability when the single Berwick crew is deployed out of area after 10.00 p.m.
Wider context from the report “The new Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital now make better provision for the County of Northumberland as a whole, but extends still further the long journey times for emergency care from Berwick-upon-Tweed, a sizeable border town, with a population which trebles throughout the tourist season because of its location as a holiday destination. By having only one paramedic crew after 10.00 p.m., if that crew is on a meal break, or as they regularly need to do, attend duties in another part of the County , risk is created to the population of Berwick-upon-Tweed by significant delays in attending life threatening incidents after 10.00 p.m., as there was in Kyle’s case.
I was informed at the Inquest that NEAS are introducing a scheme whereby paramedic crews will be asked at the start of each shift whether they are willing to be contacted for emergency calls during their meal breaks, which might go some way towards helping to resolve the concerns but does not provide any certainty while resting only on the goodwill and agreement of ambulance personnel. This proposal for response to emergency calls during meal breaks would also not address the risk of delayed response times when the single Berwick ambulance crew after 10.00 p.m. is called upon for duties out of the area .
” Open source report
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Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Agree exceptional redeployment of community paramedics to fill significant service gaps or respond to life-threatening emergencies.
Verbatim wording from the response “With the aim of addressing overall capacity, and to join up services, the CCG is working with NHCFT, NEAS, GP surgeries and community nursing services to review the services in Alnwick and Berwick to ensure all health care professionals are used appropriately. This means that providers share staff and their skills to treat patients most effectively and efficiently. This includes an agreement between NEAS and Northumberland CCG that, where needed, in order to fill significant gaps in service provision or to attend to life-threatening emergencies when there is no closer paramedic vehicle, community paramedics will be moved out of their designated area in order to assist. This will be on an exceptional basis, and the community paramedics will remain based within their local rural areas.” Source location 2016-0307-Response-by-Northumberland-Clinical-Commissioning-Group
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Source evidence
How this respondent action was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Review Alnwick and Berwick services with providers to align capacity and use healthcare professionals appropriately.
Verbatim wording from the response “With the aim of addressing overall capacity, and to join up services, the CCG is working with NHCFT, NEAS, GP surgeries and community nursing services to review the services in Alnwick and Berwick to ensure all health care professionals are used appropriately. This means that providers share staff and their skills to treat patients most effectively and efficiently. This includes an agreement between NEAS and Northumberland CCG that, where needed, in order to fill significant gaps in service provision or to attend to life-threatening emergencies when there is no closer paramedic vehicle, community paramedics will be moved out of their designated area in order to assist. This will be on an exceptional basis, and the community paramedics will remain based within their local rural areas.” Source location 2016-0307-Response-by-Northumberland-Clinical-Commissioning-Group
Open published response
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Source evidence
How this respondent position was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation Operational ambulance resource deployment is NEAS’s responsibility; commissioners set quality parameters but do not dictate those operational decisions.
Verbatim wording from the response “Through quality standards and continual performance management, commissioners work closely with NEAS to ensure the dynamic deployment of resources can be adapted to meet the changing demands on them as a service. We do not however dictate the operational decisions made as to the deployment of resources. Enabling NEAS the freedom to deploy resources across the county and the north east within the parameters of quality requirements ensures the provider, who is best placed to understand the demands, takes the most appropriate action when necessary. For example NEAS has stated that an additional rapid” Source location 2016-0307-Response-by-Northumberland-Clinical-Commissioning-Group
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Information checked against published PFD reports and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations