Only half of medical team were working on night of Brixton Academy crush, whistleblower claims
Whistleblowers have claimed that only half the required medical staff were working on the night of the O2 Brixton Academy crush which killed two people.
Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died in hospital following the crowd surge on December 15, 2022, at the concert by Afrobeats artist Asake.
For a venue and event such as this, one the industry standard medical cover suggests at least 10 people should be present, including a paramedic and a nurse.
But two whistleblowers who work for Collingwood Services Ltd, the company which provided medical staff on the night, claimed there were only five people working on the medical team on the night of the crush.
They also claimed no paramedics or nurses were present.
The two insiders told the BBC, that medical cover at the gig had been “inadequate”.
“[They] had two student paramedics, so they’re basically unqualified,” said one whistleblower. “They have to be supervised by a paramedic, not by anybody of a lower grade. They didn’t have appropriate supervision.”
Collingwood Services Ltd confirmed there had been five trained medical staff at the event, of which two were first responders – a term which can cover a variety of medical skill levels.
The company also said there were two third-year student paramedics – working as lower grade emergency medical technicians (EMTs), as well as another EMT.
EMT is also a generic term which can cover different levels of competency in both the NHS and private medical sector. It is not a regulated qualification.
Collingwood refused to clarify what qualifications the five Brixton staff had, but said that “all staff present were qualified to carry out the scope of practice they were contracted to perform.”
It also confirmed that “no member of staff was contracted to provide paramedic level duties at the event.”
A further team of three trained medical staff arrived at Brixton Academy by 11pm and stayed until 2.30am the next morning, Collingwood confirmed.
The news follows last month’s decision to suspend the venue’s licence for three months, made by Lambeth council’s licensing sub-committee.
The decision was supported by the venue’s owner, Academy Music Group (AMG), which offered its condolences to the families of those who died in the incident.
In a statement Deane Collingwood and Sophie Breeze, of Collingwood Services Ltd, said: “We remain profoundly shocked and saddened by the events of December 15, 2022, at the Brixton 02 Academy, where our company was engaged to supply medical staffing services.
“Our deepest condolences are with the families and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gabrielle Hutchison, who tragically later lost their lives as a result of injuries sustained that evening.
“Our thoughts are with all those in attendance on the night, including the emergency services and medical staff who worked so hard under exceptionally challenging circumstances to help all those injured and affected.
“We are in full support of the investigation into the causes of the events of December 15 and welcome any outcomes of the ensuing report which would stop similar tragedies happening in the future.
“We have conducted our own internal investigation and are fully confident that our team responded speedily, efficiently and with best practice.
“We believe strongly that the swift action and skill of medical staff, emergency services and others who assisted on the night were instrumental in avoiding further serious injuries or loss of life.”
Academy Music Trust has been approached for comment.
Pictured top: Brixton Academy the day after the crush (Picture: PA)
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