THE "gross failure" of a trained paramedic who decided not to administer an electric shock to a collapsed five-year-old girl led to her tragic death, an inquest heard today.

Little Lilly-May Page collapsed in the school playground in front of her mother Claire and fellow Willowbank schoolmates in May 2014.

The inquest into her death heard she would still be alive if former Oxford Brookes University medical student Shannon Jacobs, had given her treatment from a defibrillator.

The paramedic chose to carry Lilly-May back to the ambulance, away from the view of young children, but her colleague failed to turn on the heart-monitoring equipment in the meantime.

Ms Jacobs then concluded from the reading that the girl would benefit from CPR treatment, rather than shockable treatment.

Senior coroner for Berkshire Peter Bedford ruled the paramedic made the wrong decision and should have shocked young Lilly-May immediately.

By the time she arrived at Royal Berkshire Hospital more than an hour after collapsing it was too late to save her.

Speaking after the inquest, a statement read on behalf of Lilly-May's family, said: “We now know that had Lilly-May been shocked within 15 minutes of her collapse she would have survived and would still be with us.

“We have heard that changes have been put into effect at South Central Ambulance Service regarding defibrillation in children. However this should have never happened in the first place.

"We are pleased this is now over. Lilly-May died far too early, and we were looking for answers as to how this happened. It is now clear that Lilly-May suffered a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest on May 15 2014.

“We have learned that she had a genetic mutation which gave rise to a condition called CPVT.

"We are concerned that a paramedic was unable to properly understand nationally recognised resuscitation protocols for the treatment of cardiac arrest in children. The paramedic failed to recognise that Lilly-May had a shockable rhythm and failed to administer appropriate treatment with a defibrillator."

The inquest at Reading Town Hall heard how Ms Jacobs claimed she had been taught not to use the equipment if it detected a fine ventricular reading among paediatric patients.

She also suggested she had not been shown how to adjust a manual appliance to distinguish between a fine and coarse case.

Her claim was disputed by a consultant paramedic Michael Jackson, who told a previous inquest hearing into Lilly May's death: "It’s my opinion that rhythm strip should have been treated by delivery of a shock.

"I would have expected the shock to have been delivered and failing to do that in my opinion is a serious error."

Senior coroner for Berkshire Peter Bedford recorded death by natural causes attributed to gross neglect on the part of the paramedic.

In his conclusion, he said: "It was a gross failure not to apply the treatment. What could be more gross than a trained and licensed paramedic not understanding basic protocol.

"It is basic care and I have no doubt that Lilly-May Page would have survived if she had been given the shock within the 15-minute window which is recommended.

"I am satisfied that the course which was taught, and is still taught, is of an acceptable standard and in keeping with guidelines."