The mother of a drug addict who died after an overdose has called on hospital bosses to act on all of the recommendations of a coroner.

Lynn Spencer said she was “disappointed” the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) had not yet followed up on all of Juan Wolffe’s advice after the inquest into her son Christopher’s death.

She also urged anyone still waiting for an inquest into the death of a loved one to continue fighting for their right to a hearing.

A spokeswoman for the BHB said the board was still reviewing one of the recommendations relating to whether EMTs should be able to administer Narcan, which reverses the consequences of an overdose, without a doctor’s permission.

Ms Spencer told The Royal Gazette she would not rest until all the inquest’s recommendations had been implemented.

“I’m not giving up on this. It’s my duty to make sure these recommendations are acted on,” she said. “If it saves just one life, it will be worth it. That is why I pushed for an inquest — it was about finding out what happened to Chris but also seeing if lessons could be learned to save other lives.

“I would urge anyone waiting on an inquest to continue to fight for that right; an inquest has the potential to save lives.”

Mr Spencer died on October 27, 2012. An inquest into the 25-year-old’s death was held at Magistrates’ Court last month.

At the end of the inquest Mr Wolffe urged the BHB to look at its policies regarding Narcan and said it should reconsider how the drug is used.

EMTs in Bermuda are required to get approval from a doctor before administering the drug. Mr Wolffe said reconsidering the policy might save lives.

Ms Spencer added: “What I learned that day is invaluable to another person overdosing and the help they should be receiving. Narcan saves lives.

“It is easily administered and I am not aware of any side effects.

“The sooner our EMTs are given permission to use this product without having to ask a doctor the better.

“Narcan is sold over the counter in many US states. I wish I had known about Narcan before Chris’s death.”

A BHB spokeswoman told The Royal Gazette: “Narcan has been carried in BHB ambulances for a number of years so that it can be used quickly, if clinically indicated.

“We are reviewing the recommendation by the coroner that an emergency doctor is required to give the approval for its use.

“Physician approval is currently required for all drugs given in the field, not just Narcan.

“EMTs always remain in close contact with emergency physicians while on an emergency call so there is no significant delay in using drugs when needed, but we take the recommendation seriously and will do what is needed to optimise patient care. As the coroner made clear, however, it would have unfortunately not made any difference in this tragic case.”