Coroner calls for changes

Coroner Tim Scott has proposed sweeping changes around police fitness tests, after an officer collapsed and died in Wanganui last year.
A sergeant in the Youth Aid section at Levin, Stephen Michael McCarthy, 54, died at Springvale Stadium at 1pm on August 12 last year, shortly after failing a police fitness test.
At the conclusion of an inquest into his death yesterday, Mr Scott said Mr McCarthy had died as a result of acute myocardial infarction, or heart attack, a manifestation of heart disease which results in reduced blood supply to the heart.
As a non-commissioned officer, Mr McCarthy was required to take a timed physical competency test every two years.
Despite having a heart attack in 2002, Mr McCarthy subsequently gained medical clearance from his doctor and had a history of successfully completing the test.
After he failed to pass the test in July 2010, Mr McCarthy accepted a three-month remedial programme to improve his fitness but voluntarily re-took the test after a month.
He collapsed shortly after the test and died despite extensive attempts to revive him.
Testing officer Niki Glintmeyer gave evidence that, at the time of his test, Mr McCarthy told her he had done "a bit" of training and seemed unenthusiastic about the test.
He filled out a medical disclaimer but did not mention he had suffered a heart attack, was on medication for his heart and blood pressure, and carried an angina spray with him.
She said he was "the author of his own misfortune" for not disclosing his medical condition and was solely responsibility for his own death.
Mr Scott did not accept this, saying there was no point in having a medical disclaimer if there was no responsibility held by the testing officer.
Mr Scott said Mr McCarthy fudged his medical form and should have disclosed his medical conditions.
Mr Scott said it was unrealistic and naive to think people did not fudge forms and it should not have been taken at face value, but rather been considered together with all other information and evidence on offer - his age, weight of 120kg, and responses to her questions.
Although the fact Ms Glintmeyer was unaware of Mr McCarthy's previous medical history and he had not disclosed it made it somewhat understandable that she did not challenge his presentation, Mr Scott said he believed she should have.
"Although Mr McCarthy was always at risk of a cardiovascular event doing day-to-day activities, it was the test that created the environment for that to happen," he said.
Mr Scott made several recommendations, including implementing a health awareness card to be completed before the test and a revamp of the medical form's questions, making them more medically specific, which he believed had already been done.
The coroner said he thought an active programme within paid work time should be developed to encourage overall fitness, appropriate for age, gender and known medical conditions.
He acknowledged that it would present a huge challenge for police, but the organisation was capable of rising to it as it did in all other daily work, and dismissing the idea as unworkable was not fair when it was "just a big challenge".
Mr McCarthy's son, Corey McCarthy, said the findings of the inquest had been a long time coming. His father had not really been one for fitness, preferring to keep fit via farm work.
He said he was pleased with the recommendations the coroner had made, particularly in relation to programmes being developed to encourage better overall fitness, instead of encouraging short-term bouts of fitness.
"It wasn't a fitness test, as it was more up and go," he said.
Corey McCarthy also supported changes to the information available to the testing officer, saying the information from police records should be available before medical clearance was given for the test.
POINT BY POINT
Some of Coroner Tim Scott's recommendations:
The test should be required of all ranks, not just non-commissioned officers.
Voluntary remedial programmes should remain but instructors should have the discretion to request compulsory programmes, to be completed in full before re-attempting the test and strictly monitored and complied with.
If this resulted in a lot more people on the programme and an intolerable workload for instructors, then that would be a separate, workload issue.
An upper age limit introduced at which a medical was required before the fitness test. This was a "valuable screening process" and a "possible lifesaver", and he did not accept it was unnecessary or too expensive.