Lessons to be learned over Harry Dunn - government

The government has said lessons will be "properly learnt" in the case of a teenage motorcyclist killed outside an airbase in a crash with an American driver.

In 2019, Harry Dunn died after his bike was hit by a car being driven on the wrong side of the road by Anne Sacoolas, a US citizen who had just left RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire.

Three UK government departments have now responded to a coroner's report which raised concerns about driver training for US service personnel and paramedics' access to medicine.

The government said it had received assurances from US officials that American personnel in the UK receive training that includes "a focus on driving on the left".

At the inquest into 19-year-old Mr Dunn's death, the Northamptonshire coroner, Anne Pember, ruled that the teenager, from Charlton, near Brackley, died in a road traffic collision.

However, she also issued a number of Prevention of Future Deaths (PFD) reports.

Coroners can use PFD reports to alert organisations to areas in which they believe action should be taken.

The organisations have a duty to respond within two months.

Mrs Pember sent PFDs to the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office pointing out, prior to Mr Dunn's death, diplomatic personnel at the airbase did not receive driver training.

Although she had been assured that all personnel were now getting training, there was conflicting evidence about specific instruction on driving on the left.

In the response from the Ministry of Defence and Foreign Office, a spokesman said assurances had been received from the US authorities that training given to personnel "will continue to include a focus on driving on the left and the dangers of not doing so".

The response added that, given the turnover in personnel, officials would continue to monitor the situation and would be meeting US officials next month for an update.

The department said: "We are committed to ensuring lessons are properly learnt."

Mrs Pember's PFD to the Department of Health raised issues about ambulance response times and paramedics' access to analgesics, which are medicines that relieve pain.

Health minister Karin Smyth told the coroner response times had been "below the high standards that patients should expect", but it was determined to return waiting times to safe operational standards.

In relation to analgesics, the minister said her department would take account of the coroner's concerns when agreeing the next steps in its review of the administration of medicines.

She added: "It is vital that where (PFD) reports raise matters of concern, these are looked at carefully so that NHS care can be improved."

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