Dear Emma Serrano Prevention of future death report following inquest into the death of Eleanor Curley- Bennett. Thank you for sending CQC a copy of the prevention of future death report issued following the sad death of Eleanor Curley-Bennett. CQC would like to take this opportunity to offer our sincere condolences to Eleanor’s family. We note the legal requirement upon CQC to respond to your report within 28 working days, 28 April 2025. We would like to thank you for agreeing to an extension for response until 23 June 2025. We note the legal requirement upon Festimed Ltd to respond to your report within 56 days of the report. We note your concerns that you require a response to are about the HSCA Further Information Citygate Gallowgate Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4PA Telephone: 03000 616161 Fax: 03000 616171

2 9002252 Handling a Regulation 28 Report JLA v2 lack of availability of the appropriate equipment and adrenaline to safety treat a baby the age of Eleanor. We also note that Festimed have not responded to the report. We understand that Festimed Ltd provided care and treatment to Eleanor Curley- Bennett both at the festival event site and in their ambulance during conveyance to Telford Hospital. CQC’s regulatory powers do not include care and treatment provided at event work. We do not regulate services, including ambulance providers, who provide a service at events. This meant the care and treatment given by Festimed Ltd to Eleanor at the festival site was not regulated by CQC. CQC can only regulate the service once the ambulance leaves the event (festival site). We are unable to comment on this aspect due to it being outside of our regulatory remit/scope and note that Festimed was the original sole Respondent who would have been in a better position to respond to the concerns whilst on site. This meant only the care and treatment provided by Festimed Ltd to Eleanor in the ambulance once it had left the festival site, was in scope for regulation by CQC. The Government has committed to bring healthcare and treatment delivered at events into scope and CQC is working in close liaison with colleagues at DHSC to remove exemptions to make this happen. The timescales for the new regulations coming into effect are yet to be confirmed, but current indications are that providers will be able to start submitting registration applications at some point in 2026, with the new regulations coming into effect for the purposes of assessment and enforcement at some point in
2027. Until that time, CQC does not have the legal power to regulate activities at events. We have noted your concerns about the lack of availability of the appropriate equipment and adrenaline to safety treat a baby the age of Eleanor. We have not been able to get any assurance from this provider about the actions they have taken to prevent a future death. The actions we have taken to try to get assurance are detailed below.  Festimed Ltd notified CQC about the death of Eleanor in August 2023. The registered manager of Festimed Ltd informed CQC in August 2023 that once completed he would share the report and findings from his investigation into the events surrounding the death of Eleanor.  In September and October 2024 CQC contacted the registered manager of Festimed Ltd for an update on action taken following the investigation of Eleanor’s death. The registered manager did not respond to the request.  We initially became aware of the prevention of future death report on 31 December 2024, following review of the Courts and Tribunals Judiciary website. We noted the legal requirement for Festimed Ltd to respond to your report within 56 days.  On 3 January 2025 we wrote to Festimed Ltd again, requesting written confirmation and evidence of the action they had taken to date following this death and any additional action they intended to take in response to the prevention of future death report. Festimed Ltd did not respond.  On 3 February we wrote to Festimed Ltd again, in a section 64 letter, requiring them to provide the above information. This letter was sent by email, following

3 9002252 Handling a Regulation 28 Report JLA v2 which we received this message, “Delivery has failed to these recipients or groups.”  On 4 and 5 February 2025 we called the Festimed Ltd telephone number which did not connect. We called the telephone number for Festimed Ltd’s registered manager which went straight to voice mail on both occasions. We left a voice mail message asking him to contact CQC. He did not respond or contact CQC.  On 7 February 2025 we sent the same section 64 letter by recorded delivery. This was returned to CQC by Royal Mail on 14 February 2025 with the detail the letter could not be signed for because the addressee had gone away. We also reviewed Festimed Ltd details on Companies House and identified they had gone into voluntary liquidation on 12 February 2025 and our understanding is that they are no longer providing a service. We can confirm that since Festimed Ltd was registered with CQC in 2014 our registration processes have been reviewed, with more supporting information and policies now assessed at the time of registration. This will assess potential providers commitment to providing equipment to meet the needs of all people they intend to provide a service to. We appreciate HMC raising the concerns us. We can confirm that CQC is working in close liaison with colleagues at DHSC to remove exemptions to allow CQC to regulate services providing care and treatment. Please contact CQC if you require any further information/assistance.