Coroner blasts Butlins for lack of medical help after boy, 2, dies

‘Deep concern’ over Butlin’s first aid measures after toddler chocked to death on sausage: Coroner blasts lack of emergency training and life-saving equipment ‘many months’ after tragedy

• Two-year-old James Manning choked on a sausage on a 2018 Butlin’s holiday 
• The youngster was with his family having breakfast in Bognor Regis, West Sussex
• His family tried to save his life after he began choking on the breakfast sausage 
• Paramedics found their way blocked by barriers delaying their response time

A coroner has condemned first aid provision at Butlin’s holiday park after a toddler choked to death on a sausage.

James Manning, two, choked on the sausage as he enjoyed his breakfast during a holiday with his family at Butlin’s in Bognor Regis, West Sussex in 2018.

But as the toddler fought for his breath and family members battled to save him, Butlin’s staff failed to intervene.

James was rushed to hospital by ambulance where he was placed on life support but he died two weeks later.

James Manning, two, choked on the sausage as he enjoyed his breakfast during a holiday with his family at Butlin’s in Bognor Regis, West Sussex in 2018.

James’s mother, Natalie Reeves, right, and his grandmother Angela Knight, pictured at his inquest in January 2020 believe Butlin’s staff could have done more to save the youngster’s life

Karen Harrold, assistant coroner for West Sussex, has condemned the holiday park, pictured, for its first aid provision

An inquest last year found his tragic death was ‘accidental’ and intervention by staff may not have saved him.

However, Karen Harrold, assistant coroner for West Sussex, has condemned the holiday park for its first aid provision.

She said she was ‘deeply concerned’ that there was no national system for managing health and safety issues across the company’s many holiday parks.

And she said there was no written procedure for staff to follow if a first aider was not immediately available.

In her Report to Prevent Future Deaths she said: ‘I was deeply concerned about whether there was a sufficiently robust incident investigation and reporting system in place so that lessons could be learned then shared with staff.

‘I am concerned that the Health & Safety Executive’s strong recommendation in the First Aid Regulations to consider the first aid of visitors and what will be offered in terms of provision across each site was not sufficiently reflected in company practices.

‘Witnesses confirmed that there was no written standard operating procedure setting out how staff can get first aid help quickly as well as when and how to make a 999 emergency call especially if a trained first aider is not immediately available.’

Ms Harrold also said she was concerned that ‘many months’ after the tragedy there were still not enough external phone lines so the emergency services could be called.

James Manning, two, choked on a sausage at Butlin’s in Bognoir Regis, West Sussex. The toddler’s mother, Natalie, arriving at the inquest in Crawley

She was also concerned about insufficient defibrillators in key places such as restaurants and swimming pool areas.

James, from Battle, was well-known to his GP and local hospital as there had been multiple episodes of choking.

At the inquest last March Ms Harrold said James had also been ‘let down’ by the NHS due to delays in him being assessed and treated for the choking problem.

The incident happened in June 2018 as James enjoyed a family holiday with his mother Natalie Reeves and grandmother Angela

An inquest was told that on the morning of June 6 – two days after their arrival – the family made their way down to the food hall for breakfast and chose a table in the buffet area.

His mother Natalie and grandmother put food on a plate for James to eat and began to cut it up into bite-size pieces.

However James grabbed a piece of sausage from the plate before it had been cut up and swallowed it.

Miss Reeves, from Battle, East Sussex said: ‘He gasped it down instead of spitting it out. I said: ‘I think he’s choking’ but I didn’t know how big it was.’

As he struggled to get his breath she grabbed her son and rushed towards a member of staff hoping to find someone with first aid training.

She told the staff member James was choking before dashing outside the building to look for someone to help.

She hit the toddler on the back and attempted the Heimlich Manoeuvre as fellow holidaymakers tried to assist.

James’ grandmother, Angela Knight, said: ‘There was a few staff stood around but there was no Butlin’s staff that helped with James.

‘There were Butlin’s staff there but none of them helped. None of the first aiders assisted with James.’

The inquest last year heard paramedics in two ambulances found their passage into Butlin’s blocked by gates, barriers and bollards and were forced to abandon their vehicles and continue on foot.

The obstructions meant there was a delay in treating the toddler and it then took up a further seven to eight minutes to remove the sausage from his throat.

The cause of death was hypoxic ischemic brain injury – or oxygen starvation – along with cardiac arrest following the choking incident.

Concluding her report Ms Harrold wrote to Bourne Leisure Ltd – the owners of Butlin’s – and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust to taker action to prevent future deaths.

After the inquest Jon Hendry Pickup, managing director of Butlin’s, said: ‘James’s death was a tragedy and we continue to send our condolences to his family and friends. No words can begin to address their loss.

‘The safety and wellbeing of our guests is of utmost importance and we continually look to learn from any incident that happens on our sites to ensure we keep everyone as safe as possible.’

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