A woman suspected to have suffered from a drug overdose may have had her life saved by police officers this week, thanks to a Hertfordshire trial.
Officers responded to reports of a patient aged in her 20s going missing from a clinic in Watford on November 14.
Police traced her to an alleyway off Lower High Street and shortly afterwards a trained officer administered a nasal naloxone spray, which forms part of officers’ trauma kit.
An ambulance arrived a few minutes later and the patient was taken to hospital for further treatment.
Chief Inspector Jason Keane, who is overseeing the trial project, said: “It was the first time that we’ve used the naloxone spray since the trial launched a month ago as officers suspected that the woman was suffering from an opiate overdose.
“The spray temporarily reverses the effects of the drug and buys time in an emergency until the ambulance service attends.
“On this occasion, our officers’ actions may well have saved the life of a vulnerable young woman and I’d like to thank our team for their superb response.”
A total of 100 trained response drivers from Intervention, Safer Neighbourhood Teams and Scorpion, who are based in Dacorum, Stevenage, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield, along with several colleagues from the Offender Management Department, volunteered to take part in the six-month trial.
Chief Inspector Keane added: “Reassuringly there are no side effects if the nasal spray is administered to someone who officers believe is suffering an opiate overdose, but it later transpires is experiencing a different medical condition.”
Those taking part in the trial have received specialist training through a partnership with the charity Change Grow Live (CGL).
County Service Manager at Spectrum CGL, Trudy Sealy said: “Working in partnership with Hertfordshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire County Council in this ground-breaking project has been fantastic. To raise awareness around opiate overdose resulting in the availability of nasal naloxone on the streets of Hertfordshire with our first responders is a huge step forward. If this pilot saves one life, we have achieved our goal.”
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