A television producer has been left permanently disabled after paramedics made a critical error with a defibrillator during a cardiac arrest. Meg Fozzard, now 33, suffered a brain injury when her brain was starved of oxygen due to an eight-minute delay in delivering a life-saving electric shock.
The incident occurred in April 2019 at her home in Walworth, South London. Fozzard, then 26, collapsed while struggling to breathe and fitting as she went into cardiac arrest. Her partner, Xander Font Freide, called 999 and was instructed to begin CPR immediately.
When ambulance crews arrived, they had difficulty locating the flat. Despite being warned by the emergency call handler that Fozzard was in cardiac arrest, the paramedics refused to accept this diagnosis. A defibrillator indicated a dangerous heart rhythm requiring an immediate shock, but the paramedics had connected monitoring leads instead of defibrillation pads. This caused the device to fail to alert them that a shock was necessary. Furthermore, they pressed the wrong button on the LifePak machine, delaying its emergency mode by another four minutes.
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust has acknowledged an eight-minute delay before Fozzard received an electric shock to her heart. She sustained a brain injury from oxygen deprivation and now struggles with speech, fatigue, and relies on a wheelchair. She has received an undisclosed settlement from the ambulance service, which admitted breaches in its duty of care.
Fozzard said: "It's almost impossible to find the words to describe the physical and emotional impact. At first I had no idea but as the severity of my brain injury became more apparent the realisation started to sink in. That moment of being in hospital and realising my life was never going to be the same was tough."
Her cardiac arrest was triggered by an undiagnosed underlying heart condition. She has no memory of waking up in hospital and was unable to work for 14 months. She continues to experience brain fog, reduced dexterity, and involuntary limb spasms. However, with compensation, she has accessed speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy. She can now remain upright for up to an hour, has improved verbal and mental functions, and has resumed part-time work as a freelance producer specialising in disability rights.
"I do aerial sports now, I'm learning to swim again. It's been amazing because I thought these were things I'd never be able to do again," she added. "I know I've a long way to go but I finally feel like I'm getting back to being the person I was before. However, I'll always be upset at the care I received when I was in desperate need so it's vital action is taken to improve patient safety for others."
Her partner, Xander, now 32, recalled: "I was sat at my computer and I heard Megan making a strange gasping, croaky noise, then her complexion started changing rapidly. She became extremely pale. Meg's eyes were open but she wasn't responding to me talking to her. I knew something was terribly wrong. When the ambulance arrived everything seemed confused and chaotic."
Leena Savjani, the specialist medical negligence lawyer at Irwin Mitchell representing Fozzard, said: "The last few years have been incredibly difficult. Following investigations, worrying and basic failings have been admitted. Nothing can make up for what she's been through but this settlement allows Meg to focus on her future and access specialist life-time support. It's vital that lessons are learned to improve patient safety for others."
The London Ambulance Service stated that LifePaks are specialist devices used by medical professionals, capable of monitoring vital signs and providing defibrillator functionality. They differ from automated external defibrillators, which require no specialist training.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Fenella Wrigley said: "On behalf of London Ambulance Service, I sincerely apologise that the care provided to Ms Fozzard did not meet the standard we expect. In the weeks following this 999 call, we conducted a thorough review to learn the lessons. The learnings were all implemented at the time and our ways of working have been changed."
