A paramedic has been struck off after telling a woman suffering a stroke to stop acting "like a baby" and accusing her of lying about her pain. Rachel Claire Lemonofides was part of a two-person North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) crew that responded in January 2024 to a 999 call from 'Patient A', who reported an "unbearable" sharp pain in her chest.
Degrading comments recorded on 999 call
The Health & Care Professions Tribunal Service (HCPTS) heard that the 999 call recorded Lemonofides making "inappropriate and degrading" comments. Patient A later underwent emergency surgery at Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, and was diagnosed with a brain bleed and abdominal aortic aneurysm.
The hearing was told she ended up in intensive care, was in a coma for 10 days and could not talk until around March 2024.
Racially motivated discrimination found
The HCPTS found Lemonofides guilty of racially motivated discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity and breaching professional boundaries. Afterwards, NWAS said all patients were "entitled to be treated with dignity and respect".
The service added: "There is no place within our organisation for colleagues who do not uphold those values."
Abusive remarks detailed in tribunal
The tribunal was told the paramedic was one of two staff sent to the home after the 999 emergency call. Lemonofides' colleague reported that the woman experienced lower back pain as well as discomfort and numbness to her right leg, the hearing was told.
Audio evidence supported allegations that she failed to recognise the seriousness of the patient's condition. The tribunal heard she shouted at the patient and said: "I do not think this is medical, she is choosing to do this."
Other abusive remarks she allegedly made included: "You are stuck on the floor like a child," and "I am really mad now because people are waiting for this ambulance." She added: "You are not dying, you have got a bad back," and also said: "This is like the worst behaviour I have seen for a very long time."
Also she allegedly told the sick patient: "Jesus and Jehovah are not coming to help you" and "Act your age" while shouting in Patient A's face. The HCPTS was told another of Lemonofides' remarks was: "Stop being a baby, many people need this ambulance, we will tell your employer that you are being funny".
The paramedic threatened to leave within a minute if the patient did not get off the floor, the panel was told. She was heard to ask if the patient practised "black magic" and also said: "You have gone through child labour which is worse than this pain, so you are just being dramatic", "We can't take you to the hospital because your condition is not that serious" and "You have 60 seconds to get up or we are leaving".
Striking off order imposed
The panel informed Lemonofides about the hearing, which occurred on 10th August, but she failed to attend or send a legal representative. In her absence they found her fitness to practise was "impaired" by her misconduct.
They identified a string of "aggravating factors in this case" that included "Racially motivated comments and behaviour"; "Discriminatory behaviour towards Patient A based on her ethnicity"; "Aggressive, degrading and demeaning demeanour" and a "Clinical failing to pick up and/or ignoring red flags".
The HCPTS concluded: "The Panel was of the view that the nature and gravity of the concerns in this case, in particular the discriminatory and racially motivated conduct, were so serious that they are incompatible with continued registration."
"The Panel determined that a Striking Off Order is both necessary and proportionate to protect the public from the risk of harm that the Registrant poses."
"Any lesser sanction was insufficient to mark the seriousness of the conduct, and to uphold public confidence in the profession and its regulator."
