08 January 2024 , 13:57
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A university graduate who was allergic to peanuts told paramedics he was about to die before he fell profoundly unconscious after eating just two bites of a pizza ordered via Deliveroo, an inquest has heard.
James Atkinson had a severe allergic reaction shortly after eating a chicken tikka masala pizza from Dadyal Pizza, Newcastle. Despite ordering food from the premises previously, he was unaware the restaurant had allegedly begun using peanut powder within the ingredients for making the pizza.
The 23-year-old computer science graduate was known to have an allergy to peanuts and was "conscientious" about checking ingredients, according to his parents. An inquest into his death heard he had ordered the pizza, some chips and Indian dishes with his flatmate, having searched the internet for likely ingredients in certain foods, the hearing in Newcastle was told.
The former Newcastle University student, originally from Leeds, was said to have eaten some chips and less than one slice of the pizza before he realised something was wrong as he became rapidly unwell. While his flatmate looked for his EpiPen, unsuccessfully, Mr Atkinson rang for an ambulance.
Craig Hassall KC, for the family, said that when the paramedics arrived, Mr Atkinson reportedly told them as he struggled to breathe that he was going to die. Home Office pathologist Dr Jennifer Bolton outlined the background to her inquiry into his death, and said Mr Atkinson was “gasping for air” when the ambulance crew arrived.
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Dadyal restaurant on Howard Street, Newcastle (newcastle chronicle)By the time he had been helped downstairs, he was assessed to have a Glasgow coma score of three, Dr Bolton said, and was “profoundly unconscious”. Mr Atkinson was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle at 8.40pm on July 10, 2020 and, despite the efforts of medics to resuscitate him, his death was confirmed at 9.21pm.
Toxicology tests showed he had no alcohol or other drugs in his system at the time and so his decision-making ability was not impaired, the inquest heard. Dr Bolton said Mr Atkinson was known to be “usually very good” at monitoring his allergies, having been diagnosed with a peanut allergy 10 years earlier.
The contents of his stomach were examined by an expert after his death and what were possibly nuts were found. Examination of the uneaten takeaway food also detected the presence of peanuts, as did analysis of a “nut mix” at the Dadyal restaurant in Newcastle which supplied it, Dr Bolton said. She gave the cause of death as anaphylaxis following peanut ingestion.
Coroner Karen Dilks asked Dr Bolton if the outcome would have been different had an EpiPen been found to use on Mr Atkinson.
The pathologist said: “Even with the appropriate use of an EpiPen, there’s no guarantee that an individual will survive, but it certainly increases your chances.”
When Dr Bolton answered Mr Hassall’s comment about Mr Atkinson saying he was going to die, she said: “He experienced his difficulty in breathing and he was becoming aware it was getting worse, (and) individuals do sometimes say ‘I am going to die’. Medically, that is taken very seriously. Everybody is still doing everything they can to stop that being the case, and, in fact, to prove the individual wrong.”
James' parents Stuart and Jill Atkinson had previously set up a crowdjustice page to find out what happened to their son. It reads: "James had a known nut allergy to peanuts and we have been told that he may have suffered a severe allergic reaction known as “anaphylaxis” after we believe he ate just once slice of pizza. He was eating dinner with a few of his flat mates in Newcastle where they lived. We didn’t even get to say goodbye before his heart stopped. He died alone, without his mum, dad and family with him.
"He was a clever boy; he had graduated from Newcastle University after studying computer science. How could this have happened to him when he was always so careful? There will always be a hole in our hearts without James. We have been told by the police that the restaurant may have swapped an ingredient in his pizza on the day he died to a powder containing peanuts. We want to find out if that is correct, and if so, how that could have been allowed to happen.
"James was a bright and bubbly character who lived life to the full. He loved sports especially rugby, cycling and running. He also completed a triathlon with his friends which he was very proud of. He moved to Newcastle to study computer science and loved it so much he decided to stay. He loved spending time with his friends and brightened up any room. He was the life and soul of a party and went out of his way to make sure everyone was having a good time."
The post went on: "But this isn’t just about James. There are over two million people living with a diagnosed food allergy in the UK and this number is on the rise. Everyone living with an allergy deserves to have confidence to order a takeaway free from fear of having a severe allergic reaction. They have the right to be told if the food they order contains any allergens. That should be basic stuff."
Following Mr Atkinson's death a Deliveroo spokeswoman said: "This is a tragedy and our thoughts are with the family and friends of the young man who so sadly passed away. Deliveroo has been in contact with the police, who confirmed that the company has acted properly at all times, and continues to comply fully with this investigation.
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"The company will co-operate in full with the coroner's inquest and will share all information requested by the coroner. We are committed to doing all we possibly can to assist this investigation and our hearts go out to all those involved."
The inquest, which is expected to last two weeks, continues.