Two ambulance staff disciplined over shift detour

Jul 15 2009 by Liz Hands, The Journal

TWO ambulance staff who took a detour to their depot so the driver could end his shift before they transported a critically-ill patient to hospital have been disciplined.

The diversion added half a mile to the journey and meant vital minutes were lost while Ali Asghar was suffering a heart attack.

The 69-year-old later died in hospital after the ambulance arrived at hospital 35 minutes after the 999 call was made.

Yesterday the North East Ambulance Service said they had concluded their inquiry into the incident.

Both members of staff, a 54-year-old paramedic, and an advanced technician, aged 53, were suspended from work after the incident in May this year. The paramedic, who clocked off his shift, resigned from the ambulance service before his disciplinary hearing could he heard.

However the case has been referred to the Health Professions Council, the governing body for UK paramedics, who may still hold their own enquiry.

The advanced technician, who was treating Mr Asghar, has been disciplined and is going through a retraining programme before returning to his role.

Paul Liversidge, director of ambulance operations, said: “We are sorry that the incident occurred and would like to reassure people that the behaviour of the crew involved fell short of the high standards we expect to our staff in treating patients.

“It showed a lack of concern for patient care and was a shocking breach of our protocols and procedures regarding the care of patients and their transport to hospital.”

The driver even failed to notify his replacement that the 69-year-old, who had suffered a stroke, was deteriorating and close to death.

The ambulance finally arrived at hospital 35 minutes after the 999 call was made, but Mr Asghar died of a heart attack soon after being taken into accident and emergency.

Mr Asghar was married and a father of four. Speaking last month Mr Asghar’s son, Mohammed, 33, said: “What’s more important: your shift or a person who is dying?

“I used to be a bus driver and no matter if my shift was about to end I would carry on working. If you had passengers on the bus it was your duty to drop them off. If you have a patient in an ambulance you don’t worry about your shift finishing.”

The journey from the pick-up address in Stockton, Cleveland, to North Tees Hospital is 3.3 miles and should have taken 10 minutes. The delay was reported by the replacement ambulance driver. The ambulance service received a 999 call at 3.52pm on May 18 and immediately gave it ‘Category A’ status because Mr Asghar’s condition was life-threatening.

The ambulance arrived at 3.57pm and remained at the address in Stockton, Cleveland, until 4.13pm ahead of what is usually a 10-minute journey to hospital.

But once in the ambulance the driver decided that instead of heading straight to North Tees Hospital – 3.3 miles away – he would return to the Grangefield depot. Leaving the patient in the back of the ambulance with the technician the paramedic disappeared and a new driver took the wheel.

The detour lengthened the journey to the hospital to 3.8 miles and added approximately four minutes.

Mr Asghar, of Pakistani origin, was married to Fremeda, 57. The couple’s eldest son, Mohabbot Asghar, 39, a gas engineer, also from Stockton, was in the ambulance with his father. He said he was not aware of any delay in the ambulance getting to the hospital and insisted the paramedics were trying to save his father the entire journey.

He said: “I am happy that they were working on my father all the way to the hospital. I was not aware of any delay.”