Police being first there if all plasters? We’ll never know if survived. That is hard to bear Holyrood
TO CARRY LIFE-SAVING HEART-START KITS We’ll learn lessons
of the accident, they will never recover from the loss of their son.
Sandra said: “Keiran was so full of life, so happy, and our best friend as well as our son. Now there is a huge crater in our lives.
“He lived for his mountain bike and was so talented he could have become professional but he just enjoyed doing it for fun.
“He wasn’t a daredevil, he was always sensible. He knew that trail well and knew it came out on to the road. He is not here to tell us his version of what happened.”
Health chiefs have launched an investigation into why it took so long for an ambulance to reach Keiran.
The Scottish Ambulance Service say their average response time to a life-threatening emergency in the Grampian area is seven- and- a- hal f minutes and their standard protocol is to reach 75 per cent of service, who we have since learned were at the station in Elgin and could have responded.
“They had a defibrillator they could have used on Keiran and oxygen they could have given him. While the outcome may have been no different, at least we would have known everything was done that could be done. It’s ironic I do the job I do and no resuscitation equipment was available for my son.”
Sandra and Gordon, an electrician, would like to see fire crews automatically dispatched to all road accidents.
They also want to raise awareness about the use of fire crews when ambulances are a long distance from an emergency.
Sandra said: “It makes sense that when emergency operators know an ambulance is far away and a fire crew is closer, then the fire crew could be sent to offer assistance. It happens sometimes but not all the time.”
The couple have the support of their local MSP Richard Lochhead and have also held a meeting with Scottish Health Secretary Shona Robison.
Lochhead, MSP for Moray, said: “After the tragic loss of their son Keiran, Mr and Mrs McKandie’s campaign to help save the lives of others is a very powerful legacy and has the potential to make a real difference.
“The community have been offering a lot of support and have got right behind their efforts to ensure Keiran is never forgotten and to support their fundraising.”
Sandra said: “Since Keiran’s death, more than £23,000 has been raised in his memory to help build his legacy.
“Police Scotland are soon to start training their officers how to use the defibrillators we have ordered for them and they will be fitted in 10 cars across the Grampian area from October 31 on a six-month trial.
“We are looking into rolling them out across the Highlands next and then the whole country.”
Keiran’s family would also like to see medical oxygen carried in police cars.
They also plan to set up a charity in their son’s name and hope to create a mountain bike track in his honour. For details on how to support their campaign, visit www.facebook.com/keiran.mckandie The Scottish Government say a trial is being carried out in nine areas where anyone suffering a cardiac arrest will also have a fire engine dispatched to assist them if emergency operators believe it will arrive more quickly.
They said the six-month trial of defibrillators in police cars would also be evaluated.
A spokesperson said: “Health Secretary Shona Robison met Sandra and Gordon McKandie to discuss issues involving their son’s death.
“The Scottish Government have asked to see a copy of the Scottish Ambulance Service report following their investigation into this tragic incident and we would expect any learning from this to be used to make improvements wherever applicable.
“The 10 defibrillators will be trialled in the Grampian area for six months from the end of October, as part of the Scottish Government’s Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy.
“Police Scotland and the Scottish Ambulance Service will evaluate the trial and, if effective, consider rolling out this model across Scotland in the longer term, working with partners to achieve this.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service have a target of responding to 75 per cent of Category A, life-threatening calls within eight minutes.
The national average response time to Category A incidents is 7.5 minutes and the average in the Grampian area is also 7.5 minutes.
The Scottish Government’s co-responding trials to out-ofhospital cardiac arrest between SFRS and SAS cover nine fire stations.
This means that in the case of a cardiac arrest, if a fire engine can get there more quickly, it will be dispatched.