Paramedic jailed over 999 30-stone man death

[Halb]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/sussex/8549261....

Jesus. I think this chap might need to find a new calling since he decided to stand back and not try and resuscitate. Sad story.
Wonder if it was the 'form filling' that put him off?

[Jasandjules]

I can't quite make my mind up about this case....

[Scraggles]

you join the service to save lives.... might take some effort, but would anyone want him "caring" for your parents who might be very old - who knows he might just say bks to it, they have had a good life and the paperwork is sooo tough..

[maddog993]

While on the face of it there's no justifiable excuse not to attempt resus - the photos of the st-tip the patient was in does raise the question of whether a safe (or effective) resus was possible, let alone the prospect of actually trying to move him; http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2...

Edited by maddog993 on Friday 5th March 20:02

[Engineer1]

Looks to me like a case of the ambulance man arrived to quick to a place where it is almost impossible to provide any care.

[OllieWinchester]

He didn't follow the protocol, simple as that. The unfortunate fat man would have died any way, but that is not the point, the paramedic didn't follow the clearly defined protocol, and he only got found out because the callhandler had left the line open, which is recorded.

[grumbledoak]

Baffling, more than anything. A very poor bit of reporting.

What, exactly, was the ambulance bloke charged with?

[jeff m]

grumbledoak said:

Baffling, more than anything. A very poor bit of reporting.

What, exactly, was the ambulance bloke charged with?

Agree, two guys attend one is jailed.

I don't fancy that Judges chances should he need hospital care in the near future.
I'll have twenty bucks he is DOA.

[Trevelyan]

I'm a bit mystified how anyone on here could think this is acceptable behaviour from the ambulance people. They're there to try and save lifes, not play God. I think it's the fact that they stood around making jokes while he died that I find so abhorrent. How would you feel if it was your brother or friend who was dying? If they didn't want to attempt to save lifes in unpleasant circumastances, then they shouldn't have joined the ambulance service. I bet they get called to far more unpleasant places than that.

[7mike]

Trevelyan said:

I'm a bit mystified how anyone on here could think this is acceptable behaviour from the ambulance people. They're there to try and save lifes, not play God. I think it's the fact that they stood around making jokes while he died that I find so abhorrent. How would you feel if it was your brother or friend who was dying? If they didn't want to attempt to save lifes in unpleasant circumastances, then they shouldn't have joined the ambulance service. I bet they get called to far more unpleasant places than that.

I'm a bit mystified as to where the article mentions the paramedics standing around making jokes while the guy lay dying? As Grumbledoak said above, a very poor bit of reporting, clearly you know more about the case?

[Trevelyan]

7mike said:

I'm a bit mystified as to where the article mentions the paramedics standing around making jokes while the guy lay dying? As Grumbledoak said above, a very poor bit of reporting, clearly you know more about the case?

Nope, I just clicked on the second link

Admittedly it's the Sun so it should probably be taken with a large bucket of salt...

[Scraggles]

the dead guy phoned the ambulance, the phone was left open after he collapsed and fell to the floor, the paramedics did not realise their conversation was being listened to by their control room and also recorded

[7mike]

Trevelyan said:

7mike said:

I'm a bit mystified as to where the article mentions the paramedics standing around making jokes while the guy lay dying? As Grumbledoak said above, a very poor bit of reporting, clearly you know more about the case?

Nope, I just clicked on the second link

Admittedly it's the Sun so it should probably be taken with a large bucket of salt...

My apologies, didn't read that particular gem of quality reporting! Although thinking about it; it does make more sense than the BBC coverage.

[Jasandjules]

Trevelyan said:

I'm a bit mystified how anyone on here could think this is acceptable behaviour from the ambulance people. They're there to try and save lifes, not play God.

I am guessing you don't know any doctors personally then...... Perhaps you might be rather shocked to realise what really happens.

[steve_r]

Jasandjules said:

I am guessing you don't know any doctors personally then...... Perhaps you might be rather shocked to realise what really happens.

That sounds interesting, do the ones you know personally not try and save lives ?

[Jasandjules]

steve_r said:

Jasandjules said:

I am guessing you don't know any doctors personally then...... Perhaps you might be rather shocked to realise what really happens.

That sounds interesting, do the ones you know personally not try and save lives ?

DNR is common enough isn't it.....

[steve_r]

Jasandjules said:

steve_r said:

Jasandjules said:

I am guessing you don't know any doctors personally then...... Perhaps you might be rather shocked to realise what really happens.

That sounds interesting, do the ones you know personally not try and save lives ?

DNR is common enough isn't it.....

Oh i see what you mean; death is extremely common, saving dignity in death is a bit more difficult. But thats a different discussion and a hornets nest!

In any case it doesn't apply to this situation with a dereliction of duty, so far as i can make out from the news articles.

[Deva Link]

Jasandjules said:

Trevelyan said:

I'm a bit mystified how anyone on here could think this is acceptable behaviour from the ambulance people. They're there to try and save lifes, not play God.

I am guessing you don't know any doctors personally then...... Perhaps you might be rather shocked to realise what really happens.

Having 3 relatives under NHS "treatment" at the moment, I'm amazed anyone survives.

One doctor, who had spent time in the US, told us the way the NHS handles patients (lack of compassion / dignity / courtesy etc, rather than pure medical care) is appalling and as soon as she's finished her current specialist training, she'll be going back there ASAP.

[maddog993]

steve_r said:

Jasandjules said:

steve_r said:

Jasandjules said:

I am guessing you don't know any doctors personally then...... Perhaps you might be rather shocked to realise what really happens.

That sounds interesting, do the ones you know personally not try and save lives ?

DNR is common enough isn't it.....

Oh i see what you mean; death is extremely common, saving dignity in death is a bit more difficult. But thats a different discussion and a hornets nest!

In any case it doesn't apply to this situation with a dereliction of duty, so far as i can make out from the news articles.

On the basis that he had collapsed while on the phone (an unwitnessed arrest) and there had been no-one performing CPR on him when the crew arrived - 3 minutes of BLS and the ecg throughout and subsequently showing asystole, the protocol would have been to 'call it' (acknowledge that life was extinct) and legitimately cease resuscitation efforts.

However, the crew has fked up big time by not making any resuscitation effort whatsoever on a bloke who presumably had collapsed only minutes before (even given the chaos they were in the midst of - unless it was actually dangerous to perform resuscitation in such circumstances- thereby negating the legitimacy of doing nothing through life obviously being extinct from having been in cardiac arrest for a prolonged period (hypostasis, rigor mortis, etc) and fked up bigger still by not realising the phone was still off the hook with EOC listening to every word while they seemingly tried to bullst their way out of it,(though I'm puzzled as to how they would have tried to do this).

I'd forgive the 'black' humour, it's part and parcel of the job -it's a coping mechanism -( however you choose your audience carefully for obvious reasons, which unfortunately and inadvertently they haven't) but most importantly, you make sure you do the job you're supposed to do as best you can. While It is difficult without knowing the full story and bearing in mind the Sun's bullst factor but that's the bottom line.

[OllieWinchester]

I thought one of them was a student para, following the more experienced paramedic, hence why only one was charged.