Naltrexone Clinic Death
Sun Herald
Sunday July 9, 2000
A TEENAGE mother has collapsed and died in the waiting room of a Liverpool naltrexone clinic that is part of a privately owned chain languishing in receivership.
The heroin-addicted youngster from Smithfield, believed to be 19, was signed up to the clinic's rapid detox program and suffered the seizure on Monday after experiencing pain at home.
A counsellor at the clinic, Lindsay Otter, has admitted he provided the patient with extra medication the day before the tragedy, despite possessing no formal medical training.
But Mr Otter, 51, has claimed clinic bosses allowed him to perform basic medical duties in their absence and often left him with keys to the drugs cupboard.
A coroner's report has been launched to determine the cause of the teenager's death. Mr Otter has already been sacked and evicted from his on-site home.
Mr Otter recalled how the teenager had arrived at his door for help last Sunday and how the following day he witnessed her death.
``As the only person here, I invited the patient and her sister in, looked up the details on file and discovered she had been treated a few days before," Mr Otter said on Friday, as security officials threw his belongings onto the ground outside the clinic.
``She confirmed she had taken the naltrexone and all the related medication that comes in the home pack, but she still couldn't sleep.
``I tried to contact the on-duty doctor but couldn't get him so I gave the patient's sister two 5mg tablets of valium and 25mg of deptran. I advised the sister to administer the tablets in stages.
``In keeping with protocol, I then wrote a note of what had happened for the doctor."
Mr Otter explained that 24 hours later he walked out of his office and was confronted by a scene of chaos.
``There was a young girl lying on the waiting room floor who I actually didn't recognise," he said.
``She had turned yellow, her mother was screaming and there were a lot of people panicking. The pathologist was giving the girl mouth to mouth until the ambulance arrived and [paramedics] took over with oxygen. I later heard she had died."
The Liverpool Rapid Detox Centre opened in 1998, advertising a one-day stay and quick withdrawal program for heroin addicts. The clinic fell into receivership in July and is due to close in September.
© 2000 Sun Herald