A grieving mother has demanded answers from the Scottish Ambulance Service over the death of her daughter.
Claire Fairbairn died on November 18 2011 after falling ill at her family’s home in Rattray.
Although the 21-year-old received emergency treatment from ambulance crews, she was pronounced dead en route to hospital following complications relating to Type 1 diabetes.
Her mother, Linda, believes Claire’s death could have been prevented if a fully-qualified paramedic had been available.
A fatal accident inquiry at Perth Sheriff Court on Monday heard how a double technician crew had been dispatched from Blairgowrie to Honeyberry Drive, while a paramedic was also sent from Dundee.
The technicians were first on the scene and while they share many of the same responsibilities as paramedics, they have limited access to intravenous medication or controlled drugs.
They were able to administer glucagon, which is used to treat hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar, but Claire failed to respond.
Although this is a standard procedure for treating diabetics, Mrs Fairbairn told the court she believed her daughter, who was in her final year at Abertay University in Dundee, could have survived if she had received insulin instead.
She said: “There should have been a paramedic there. It would have helped if they could have given her insulin at the time.
“I know they are not allowed to do it just now, but I would like to see that implemented.”
According to Philip McKiddie, however, Claire could have died some hours before being discovered by her brother Craig at 8.30am.
He had last seen her at midnight when he went to check on her before heading to bed.
Mr McKiddie was the attending paramedic and was dispatched to support the Blairgowrie crew.
The court heard how he arranged to meet them on the A923 Coupar Angus road after being advised they had already left Honeyberry Drive.
The 40-year-old, who has worked for the Scottish Ambulance Service for more than 20 years, revealed a defibrillator used at the house failed to detect a heartbeat.
“I was told that the patient had been found in a bathroom unresponsive and with no vital signs,” said Mr McKiddie.
“A defibrillator had been attached to the patient and the patient was asystole, which means there was no electrical activity in her heart and her heart wasn’t beating.
“Once I had information on the length of time between when she was last seen and when she was found, I decided to cease resuscitation.
“The fact I couldn’t open her mouth told me that there was rigor mortis in her face,” he said.
A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as diabetic ketoacidosis, which is caused by a lack of insulin in the body.
Although Mrs Fairbairn raised concerns about the use of glucagon, a medical report suggested that this would not have “made the situation worse” or increased the sugar levels in Claire’s body.
The inquiry continues.