‘Only half the recommended number of medical staff on duty at O2 Brixton on night of fatal crush’

Only half the recommended number of medical staff were on duty at the O2 Brixton Academy on the night of the Asake concert that killed two concertgoers, the whistleblowers claimed.

At least 10 medically trained professionals, including a paramedic and a nurse, should have been present to provide medical coverage, according to industry standards.

Two people were killed when fans without tickets tried to get into a sold-out show by Afrobeats singer Asake at the south-west London concert venue on December 15.

Mother-of-two Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, and security guard Gaby Hutchinson, 23, died in hospital of their injuries following the fatal crushing.

A third woman was also seriously injured. She remains in the hospital in serious but stable condition.

There were no paramedics or nurses present on the night, it has been revealed.

Collingwood Services Ltd, said BBC Radio 4 file on program 4 that he was “100% confident” that his team had “responded quickly, efficiently, and in accordance with best practices.”

But two whistleblowers who regularly worked with Collingwood Services Ltd claimed that overnight medical cover had been “inadequate”.

They said only five medical staff were on duty that night, which is half the industry-recommended standard expected for a sold-out concert of that size.

There were no medical personnel present who had a paramedic degree, while two student paramedics were present at the concert, the complainants said.

“They didn’t have proper supervision,” one of the informants, who was not present at the concert but had spoken to colleagues who were, told the station.

The company, which provides medical services for events, said five trained medical personnel provided by Collingwood Services were present at the venue on December 15, 2022 from 6:00 p.m. to 02:30 a.m.

These were made up of two first responders and three emergency medical technicians (EMTs).

Two of the EMT staff were third-year, qualified student paramedics working at the EMTB level.

An additional team of three trained medical personnel arrived at 11:00 p.m. and was present until 02:30 a.m.

The venue, the O2 Academy in Brixton, southwest London, has a capacity for 5,000 people.

For a sold-out concert like the one on the night of Asake’s concert, industry guidelines say there should be at least 10 medical staff on duty.

Last month, the venue’s license was suspended for three months while the investigation into the fatal crowd crush continued.

During a Lambeth council licensing sub-committee meeting, it was heard that ‘at 9pm a large crowd of around 1,000 people had formed outside the entrance to the premises, giving the appearance of entering the building.

Gerald Gouriet KC, representing the force, said: “It started at 8 pm, so I understand that by 9 pm a large crowd of about 1,000 people had formed outside the entrance of the venue, giving the appearance of entering the building,” he said.

Venue staff locked the front doors and called the police for support. And we have a time for that call, it’s 9:04 pm The police arrived at 9:16 pm.

“When they arrived, they found a large-scale disorder, the crowd pushing the doors, trying to force them open, which they eventually did.

‘And when the doors were breached, the crowd poured into the hall towards the auditorium.

‘Some of them fell to the ground. Several (we don’t yet know the total number and that will be known as the investigation progresses) were injured when the crowd rushed at those who had fallen.

Four people were taken to the hospital, Gouriet said.

“Tragically, as we know, two of them died as a result of their injuries,” he said.

“A third is still seriously ill and the fourth, fortunately, has been discharged.”

Stephen Walsh KC, representing the owner of the O2 Academy, Academy Music Group (AMG), said his client agreed to the suspension terms set out by the police.

“The O2 Academy Brixton recognizes the gravity of the events that occurred on the night of December 15, 2022 and expresses its deepest condolences to the families of those who died during that tragic incident and its genuine concern for all those affected by it,” it said. to the Meeting on January 16.

The crush left several people with serious injuries, many of whom were treated at the scene by staff, police and paramedics.

Hutchinson’s partner, Phoebie Turley, 25, has also demanded that the people involved in the crush be held accountable.

“Things like this should never have happened,” Turley said last month. “Every action has a reaction, and this consequence has come from people showing up without tickets or trying to kick their way through a door.

‘So that? What was that for? Because now you’ve killed innocent people.

The couple, both from Gravesend in Kent, had been dating for more than three years after meeting through mutual friends.

Turley paid tribute to her partner by saying that she was the kindest person she had ever met.

“They were just a good person,” he wrote. Gaby literally would have done anything for anyone in a heart beat.

‘They didn’t care who you were, Gaby would have given you the shirt off her back if anyone else needed it.

And they were like that throughout our relationship. They did everything for me from the moment we met.

‘They didn’t deserve this. It is necessary that justice be done and that someone be held accountable for what happened.

Not just for Gaby, but also for Rebecca.

After her death, tributes to Rebecca were also flooding, with friends describing the single mother and autism activist as a “beautiful woman who radiated positive energy and was dedicated to being the best version of herself for her children.”

In a statement, Ms Ikumelo’s family said: “Rebecca graduated in nursing. She was an adorable mother of two who loved working with children.

She was highly respected in the family for her care, kindness, and love. Her parents call her Tosin (short for Oluwatosin), which means “The Lord is Worthy.”‘

A spokesman for Collingwood Services Ltd said it remained “deeply shocked and saddened by the events” of December 15 and expressed its “deepest condolences” to the families of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchison.

They added: ‘We fully support the investigation into the causes of the events of December 15 and welcome the results of the subsequent report which would prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

“We have conducted our own internal investigation and are fully confident that our team responded quickly, efficiently and in accordance with best practices.

“We strongly believe that swift action and the skill of medical personnel, emergency services and others who helped overnight were critical to preventing further serious injury or loss of life.”

MailOnline has contacted Academy Music Group for further comment.