An ambulance trust has apologised to the family of a patient who was declared ‘dead’ by paramedics – before they woke up in hospital.
The false alarm
The individual was taken by the crew to Darlington Memorial Hospital after an incident on Friday, according to a report in the Northern Echo.
Ambulance staff had declared the person dead before the transfer, but hours later it transpired that they were still alive.
The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said a ‘full review’ is under way after an apology was made to the patient’s family.
The apology
Director of Paramedicine Andrew Hodge said: ‘As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we opened an investigation and contacted the patient’s family.
‘We are deeply sorry for the distress that this has caused them.‘
A full review of this incident is being undertaken and we are unable to comment any further at this stage.
The identity of the individual has not been revealed, and no information about their current condition have been released.
Just five months ago, the NEAS was criticised in a report that tackled how ambulance workers covered up medical errors, withheld evidence from coroners.
The report said: ‘Both this investigation and previous reports have found a number of failings in how the Trust should have responded to the incidents and then in their response to concerns about how failings were accepted and followed up.’
It was led by ex-hospital boss Dame Marianne Griffiths, who paid tribute to families of affected patients after its publication and said: ‘It is clear that they are not only devastated by the loss of their loved ones but also by the ambulance service’s response to the legitimate questions about their care.’
