St John probes claimed delay getting toddler to hospital

St John Ambulance has launched an internal investigation into claims its officers lost precious time in getting a badly injured toddler to hospital.

Cherishsiliala Tahuri-Wright, 3, known as Cherish, suffered severe head injuries at a house in Marton on February 17, police allege. A 56-year-old woman, charged with her murder, is in custody.

A St John paramedic has now raised concerns about what he believes was a 2-1/2-hour delay in getting Cherish to hospital.

Although emergency services were alerted about 12.15pm, Cherish did not arrive at Palmerston North Hospital until 2.40pm.

She was then flown to Wellington Hospital's neurological unit that night. Her life support was switched off the next day.

The paramedic said he understood that an ambulance was sent from Feilding, about 25 minutes' drive away from Marton, after emergency services were first alerted to Cherish's injuries.

Another ambulance was sent from Wanganui but was stood down just five minutes from Marton because a rescue helicopter was called.

"The whole thing's woefully inadequate," he told the Dominion Post.

"She was in a critical state and that's when they need to get to hospital in a very short time."

The paramedic said the blunder was another sign that ambulance services were at "crisis point".

"It really pisses me off to think they dicked around for a couple of hours while a little girl was dying," said family spokeswoman and Porirua Deputy Mayor Litea Ah Hoi.

However, Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Sheridan, who heads the murder inquiry, said the ambulance response had been "first rate".

He understood the delay was because of the time it took to stabilise Cherish for transport.

St John would not discuss the criticism other than to confirm that an internal investigation was under way.

- NZPA