Paediatric First Aid

Robert Flello Excerpts

Monday 15th December 2014 Westminster Hall

[Mark Hunter (Cheadle) (LD)]

I beg to move,

That this House has considered the e-petition relating to the Millie’s Trust campaign to train all nursery nurses in paediatric first aid.

Mr Chope, it is a great pleasure to conduct this debate under your chairmanship. It is a sombre subject that we are addressing this afternoon, and it is a difficult address for me to give, knowing the circumstances, and the family, Joanne and Dan Thompson, who are here with us today to listen to our proceedings. In parts, it might also be a difficult debate for Members to listen to.

Tragically, Millie Thompson passed away aged just nine months after a choking incident at a nursery school in my constituency of Cheadle. Following Millie’s tragic death in October 2012, her parents, Dan and Joanne Thompson, set up a charity called Millie’s Trust, as a legacy in Millie’s memory. I am delighted that they are able to be here today to witness our debate.

This Backbench Business debate is the next step for the Thompsons’ campaign, which has one simple aim: that all nursery and pre-school staff receive paediatric first aid training.

[Robert Flello (Stoke-on-Trent South) (Lab)]

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for securing this debate, and I am particularly grateful to the family, who are with us today. However, it is almost amazing that this requirement is not already law and on the statute books. The fact that there so many Members here from across the House should perhaps send a message to the Minister: “Let’s get this on the statute books really quickly.”

[Mark Hunter]

I thank the hon. Gentleman for his contribution and I could not agree with him more. I am delighted that so many hon. Members from across the spectrum in the House of Commons have been able to find time to be here today, when I know that—as ever in this place—there are plenty of other important issues being debated at the same time.

Millie Thompson was just nine months old when her parents, Joanne and Dan, left her in the care of a nursery in Cheadle Hulme. Her parents had done what every parent does when placing a child in an educational establishment, and as far as they were concerned they had chosen the very best place for their daughter because the establishment had an outstanding Ofsted rating in early 2012.

Millie Thompson passed away on just her third day at nursery. The Thompsons received a phone call stating that Millie was having problems breathing and when Millie’s mum arrived at hospital, sadly Millie had already passed away. Millie had choked on her lunch, which consisted of food that she had been competent at eating for several months previously, which added further to her parents’ distress.

On further investigation by the police, a few things became apparent. The nursery had used various first aid companies for their training, many of which no longer exist. Furthermore, the majority of staff were trained in first aid at work, which of course is not the same as paediatric first aid. However, two members of staff were trained in paediatric first aid, but we will see later why I believe that that was not effective enough and why we would like a change in legislation.

Millie was not given full choking treatment from any member of staff; she received only the bare minimum of treatment, which consisted of a few slaps to the back. Sadly, Millie’s parents have had to view CCTV coverage from outside the nursery on that tragic day, which showed many people running around, including the supervisor and the two members of staff who were trained in paediatric first aid.