Six-year-old's choking death highlights 'haphazard' first-aid training at schools » Education » 24dash.com

A coroner is to write to education chiefs highlighting the "haphazard" nature of first-aid training at schools after hearing how not all the staff at a infant school where a girl choked to death were fully qualified in life-saving skills.

Six-year-old Shannon Hennessey died after a small piece of sausage became stuck in her throat while eating lunch at Redhill Infants in Castleford, West Yorkshire.

Teachers, dinner staff and paramedics tried to clear her blocked airway and revive her, but she was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at hospital.

Coroner David Hinchliff said he was satisfied there was sufficient levels of supervision and first-aid training at Redhill Infants but expressed his concern that it is not compulsory in all schools.

He stressed that everything was done to save Shannon's life and agreed with an assessment that she received an "unbroken chain of continual care".

Of the nine staff members involved on the day, six were qualified in first aid, the hearing was told.

The court was told the dinner lady who carried out a Heimlich manoeuvre on the youngster had learnt the technique from her husband and was not qualified in first-aid.

However, the court was told that she carried out the technique correctly as other members of staff, qualified in first-aid techniques, tended to the stricken youngster as well.

Dinner superviser Mabel Ellerker told the inquest her reaction was "instinctive" as she carried out the Heimlich manoeuvre.

"My husband is a senior care assistant. He showed me how to do it a couple of months before it happened with Shannon," she said.

"It just seemed instinctive, anything at the time. I did it right."

Another member of staff who was qualified in first-aid also attempted the Heimlich manoeuvre, but to no avail.

Shannon collapsed in front of her friends as she ate sausage and mashed potato on November 8 2006.

The popular youngster got into difficulties as she ate her meal on the Golden Table, an area where children who have behaved well and excelled in class are allowed to eat.

She was described as a "fussy" eater who was slower at eating compared to her peers. On the day of the tragedy her sausage had been cut up into bite-size pieces.

Home Office pathologist Dr Alfredo Walker said the cause of death was choking on food. He noted that some of Shannon's teeth were rotten and suggested this may have caused pain or tenderness and possible problems with chewing.

Wakefield Coroner's Court was told she was not registered with a dentist at home but when a dentist examined her teeth at school the year before her death there were no reports of problems.

The coroner discounted the pathologist's theory, saying there was no evidence from her family or teachers that she was in discomfort with her teeth and hence had problems with chewing.

In recording a verdict of accidental death he added: "The issue of first-aid training seems to be a bit haphazard.

"I intend writing to the education authority and suggest to them they may like to look at first aid training."

Mr Hinchliff said everyone involved in the incident acted "correctly and appropriately" and had tried to save her life "through no lack of trying".

"I can't say precisely what happened but because of the fact she was eating sausage she might just have put a bit too much in her mouth and it may have gone the wrong way."