A grandmother who was declared dead at her home was later found to be alive after being transported to a hospital mortuary, a coroner's court has heard.
A Tragic Sequence of Errors
Olive Martin, 54, from Darlington, suffered a seizure and collapsed in her kitchen on 13 October 2023. She had been preparing toast at the time. Paramedics from the North East Ambulance Service attended the scene and, after assessment, pronounced her deceased.
In a catastrophic error, she was subsequently taken to the Darlington Hospital Mortuary instead of to the Accident and Emergency department for further checks. It was only upon her arrival at the mortuary that staff made the shocking discovery that she was still alive.
Inquest Reveals Critical Delay
An inquest at Crook Coroner's Court was told that Olive Martin died from brain damage shortly after being found in the mortuary. Tom Barclay Semple, representing Olive's family, stated there was a period of around two hours where she received "no treatment at all".
The coroner said it was impossible to know precisely how long Olive had been starved of oxygen. Representatives for the ambulance service and police confirmed to the hearing that signs of life and evidence of brain function were observed in the mortuary.
Service Apology and Ongoing Investigation
Andrew Hodge, Director of Paramedicine at the North East Ambulance Service, 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."
He confirmed a full review of the incident is underway and that the colleagues involved are being supported. The family of Olive Martin previously paid a moving tribute to their "warrior" mother, remembering her for her kind heart and infectious personality.
This devastating case has prompted serious questions about emergency response protocols and procedures for verifying death outside of a hospital setting.
