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Tragic First-Time Cocaine Use Ends in Fatal Heart Attack
6 Apr
Summary
- A woman died of a heart attack after her first-time cocaine use.
- Ambulance response time was 90 minutes after husband's calls.
- Paramedic's decision not to transport the patient is questioned.
Francesca Phillips, a 34-year-old hair salon owner, died from a heart attack after using cocaine for the first time at a New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2022. Her husband had purchased a gram of cocaine, a substance he had not used since his youth, and Francesca had never used it before.
After snorting cocaine and experiencing severe back pain and vomiting, Ms. Phillips' condition deteriorated rapidly. Her husband made two emergency calls, with the second at 2:10 am reporting she was turning blue and struggling to breathe. The ambulance, dispatched at 2:16 am, arrived at 2:41 am, significantly exceeding the 18-minute target for a Category 2 response.
Paramedics initiated CPR upon arrival, but Ms. Phillips was declared deceased shortly after 3:30 am. The provisional cause of death was a coronary artery spasm linked to cocaine use. The cocaine supplier, Jack Budden, received a suspended prison sentence for supplying the Class A drug.
An inquest has raised serious concerns about the actions of Fred Thompson, the most senior paramedic at the scene. His decision not to transfer Ms. Phillips to the hospital was deemed 'difficult to justify' and an 'error of judgement.' He has since resigned from the ambulance service and faces potential disciplinary action.
