Recommendation - South Wales Police, October 2020
This learning was identified from an investigation where South Wales Police officers (SWP) failed to recognise the signs of a serious head injury. The injured man was taken to hospital by the officers after an attempt was made to place the man into a family member's car. It is possible that greater attempts could have been made to ensure the arrival of an ambulance. Upon arrival at hospital, the man was assessed as being in a critical condition having suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain. SWP do not train response officers in managing a casualty with a head injury though this training is provided to custody officers and other custody staff.
IOPC reference
Recommendations
The IOPC recommends that South Wales Police (SWP) amends the first aid training provided to front line officers to ensure all officers and staff receive training regarding managing a casualty with a head injury. In the interim, SWP should take measures to ensure that frontline officers and staff who have not yet received the training are made aware of the signs and symptoms of head injuries, the risks associated with such injuries and what officers are expected to do if they identify a head injury.
This follows a case where officers were called to a disturbance at a rugby club. Upon arrival, officers found a male lying prostrate in the car park and were informed that the male, who was not fully responsive, had been punched. The South Wales Police officers who attended the scene failed to recognise the signs of a serious head injury suffered by this male and appeared to have had contradictory views amongst each other about whether paramedics were required. The officers initially agreed with a decision made by family members to transport the injured party home. After they were unable to manouvere the injured party into the car of a family member, police officers decided to transport him to hospital though this decision could have been made much sooner. Upon arrival at hospital, the individual was assessed as being in a critical condition having suffered a fractured skull and bleeding on the brain.
Our investigation found that frontline officers in South Wales Police are taught module two of the College of Policing's First Aid programme. This module does not include training on how to manage a casualty with a head injury. Training on managing a head injury is provided for in module three, which is designed for officers and staff that are responsible for the care of detainees (eg custody officers and detention staff), and module four which is designed for officers and staff working in medium to high risk areas.
Do you accept the recommendation?
Yes
Accepted action:
All officers and staff will have received training on the identification and management of head injury casualties as part of their initial First Aid courses i.e. everyone will have received this after joining.
Mod 3 and above has always received this area of training so this was in place pre recommendation.
Mod 2 refresher does not include this. The content is determined by the College of Policing (CoP) but we have now added the head injury content as a pre read for our current First Aid module 2 assessments.
NCALT for First Aid is live but as the curriculum changes for 2021 (again set by CoP) we are now adding the new curriculum to next year’s First Aid NCALT package which will also include a section on head injuries i.e. Head injuries have been included in the form of a pre read as an interim measure until that point.