Hi tabbycat.
I do feel really feel sorry for her, yourself and your staff. I am sure no one would suggest otherwise. I am sure that as a professional she did make every attempt to give first aid to her client and when she gave the massage she was genuinely
trying to help the woman. This is the key for her. I have a gut feeling based on many years experience both good and bad, that she did not cause this to happen, as caring soul says “It could have happened anywhere”. It may have been due to the hot day.
But without knowing the condition or the medication we cannot really make any comment on an individual case, nor should we, unless we are a medical profesional.
The worst part is she may never forget this for as long as she lives and her confidence may well be shattered. Perhaps after a while you and your staff could offer to have a reflexology treatment off her, to try to bring back her confidence.
It is easy for anyone in retrospect to pass a comment, but without seeming to be insensitive, the key point for me is that IMO no treatment should have been carried out at all. It may be possible for people who read this thread to learn from what happened.
It will possibly be advantageous for you to suggest that she notifies her insurance company and likewise you should contact your own.
I can understand how you must feel too, if as I suspect this is your own clinic then you must be going through hell and you must be asking yourself many questions. Please for your own peace of mind make sure that all her client records are up to date i.e. oil used and why, also that the accident details are comprehensive, if not and it comes to claim and the records and details are not up do date then the insurers may well refuse to be involved.
It will seem a long time but you should have a reply from the NHS as to whether she died of natural causes. In all honesty that is all anyone of us can do, just wait and send out our thoughts to you all.