A paramedic has been struck off after berating a seriously ill woman during a 999 call, telling her to “stop being a baby” and accusing her of lying about being unable to walk.
Rachel Claire Lemonofides was found to have made a series of “inappropriate and degrading” remarks while attending the patient’s home in January 2024.
A disciplinary tribunal heard that the woman, who was later discovered to have suffered a stroke and a life-threatening burst aorta, was “forced to crawl downstairs” after Lemonofides refused to accept she could not stand.
Racially discriminatory conduct
The North West Ambulance Service paramedic told her: “You are lying, stop what you are doing, stop being a baby, let’s go downstairs”, according to the M.E.N.
A hearing was told Lemonofides also informed the patient she was “wasting time” and “making a scene”, before issuing an ultimatum: “You have 60 seconds to get up or we are leaving”.
The patient was subsequently taken to Wythenshawe Hospital for urgent surgery after medics discovered she had sustained a brain bleed and an abdominal aortic aneurysm - a swelling in the aorta.
Patient in coma for 10 days
A hearing was told the patient had remained in a coma for 10 days and was unable to communicate until approximately March 2024. She revealed doctors had given her a 50 per cent chance of surviving the emergency operation.
The tribunal determined Lemonofides had failed to identify the severity of the patient's condition, despite her presenting with chest pain, low blood pressure, numbness in her legs and a “not particularly normal” ECG. The panel determined there was “enough physical evidence” at Lemonofides' disposal to identify that the patient was gravely unwell and needed immediate hospital care.
The tribunal was also informed that Lemonofides made several remarks to the patient while attending her at home. She said to the patient: “You are stuck on the floor like a child. I am really mad now because people are waiting for this ambulance, and you are acting like a child. You are not dying, you have got a bad back. It is not as though you have had your leg ripped off. You have gone through child labour which is worse than this pain, so you are just being dramatic.”
Colleague reported incident
The tribunal was told the patient cried out in pain on multiple occasions and that Lemonofides was heard instructing her to “shut up”. The tribunal additionally concluded the ex-paramedic had discriminated against the patient based on her ethnicity and that aspects of her conduct were racially driven.
The panel was informed that Lemonofides made repeated references to “black magic” and characterised the patient as acting as though she were “possessed”. The tribunal determined these remarks related to the patient's race and demonstrated “hostility and a discriminatory attitude” towards her.
It concluded the racial prejudice may have been deliberate or subconscious but stated it had been “at the forefront” of Lemonofides' interactions with the patient. The panel concluded that the discriminatory conduct led to the “wholly unfair and unacceptable treatment” of a vulnerable patient.
It further stated that remarks made throughout the visit were “totally unprofessional and wholly unacceptable from a Paramedic”. The behaviour was characterised as “belittling and degrading”, with the panel noting a “clear hostility” directed towards the patient.
The tribunal also heard that a fellow paramedic who witnessed the incident was so disturbed by her colleague's conduct that she reported it to her employer. Lemonofides was subsequently found to have told the colleague: “If it had been filmed, you would watch it back and laugh at it.”
The panel determined this was an effort to “minimise or make light” of the events and to persuade her junior colleague that the incident was not of a serious nature.
Removed from register
A formal complaint was lodged by Lemonofides' colleague on January 13, 2024, with a written complaint submitted by a relative of the patient two days later. Her operational duties were restricted by NWAS on March 5, 2024, before she was dismissed on July 11, 2024 following a disciplinary hearing.
The tribunal heard that Lemonofides acknowledged her conduct towards the patient was unprofessional and had breached professional boundaries, and admitted that she had failed to recognise the gravity of the patient's condition. However, she refuted claims that her actions had been discriminatory or racially motivated, and disputed making the remark about reviewing the incident afterwards and laughing.
The tribunal determined all six factual allegations were proven.
The panel concluded the behaviour constituted serious professional misconduct and identified a “high risk of repetition”.
It stated that the character of her actions, “in particular the discriminatory and racially motivated conduct”, were “so serious that they are incompatible with continued registration”. Consequently, Lemonofides was removed from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register.
A North West Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “The individual no longer works for the trust. All of our patients are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect and there is no place within our organisation for colleagues who do not uphold those values.”
