Paramedic struck off after telling stroke victim to 'stop being a baby'

A paramedic has been struck off the professional register after she told a seriously ill patient to “stop being a baby”, accused her of lying about being unable to walk, and subjected her to racially motivated abuse during a 999 call-out.

Rachel Claire Lemonofides, who worked for North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), made a string of “inappropriate and degrading” remarks while attending the woman’s home in January 2024. The patient, later diagnosed with a stroke and a life-threatening burst aorta, was “forced to crawl downstairs” after Lemonofides refused to accept she could not walk.

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) tribunal heard that Lemonofides told the woman: “You are lying, stop what you are doing, stop being a baby, let's go downstairs.” She also warned: “You have 60 seconds to get up or we are leaving.”

What happened during the 999 call?

The patient presented with chest pain, low blood pressure, numbness in her legs and an ECG that was “not particularly normal”. Despite this, the tribunal heard, Lemonofides accused the woman of “wasting time” and “making a scene”. At one point, the patient cried out in agony and was instructed to “shut up”.

Lemonofides also told 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.”

How serious was the patient’s condition?

The patient was subsequently rushed to Wythenshawe Hospital for emergency surgery after medics discovered a brain bleed and an abdominal aortic aneurysm, a swelling in the aorta. She remained in a coma for 10 days and was unable to speak until around March 2024. Doctors had given her a 50 per cent chance of surviving the emergency surgery.

The tribunal concluded there was “enough physical evidence” at Lemonofides’ disposal to identify that the patient was gravely unwell and needed immediate hospital care. She failed to recognise the gravity of the condition, the panel determined.

Was the conduct racially motivated?

The tribunal additionally found that Lemonofides had shown prejudice regarding the patient’s ethnic background. She made repeated references to “black magic” and characterised the patient as acting as though she were “possessed”. The panel determined these observations related to the patient’s race and displayed “hostility and a discriminatory attitude” towards her.

The prejudice might have been deliberate or subconscious, the tribunal said, but it had been “at the forefront” of Lemonofides’ conduct. This discriminatory behaviour led to the “wholly unfair and unacceptable treatment” of a vulnerable patient.

What did the colleague witness?

A fellow paramedic at the scene was so appalled by Lemonofides’ actions that she flagged it to her employer. Lemonofides later told the colleague: “If it had been filmed, you would watch it back and laugh at it.” The panel concluded this was an attempt to “minimise or make light” of the events and sway her junior colleague into thinking the incident was not grave.

A formal complaint was lodged by the colleague on January 13, 2024, and a written complaint was sent by a relative of the patient two days later. Lemonofides’ operational responsibilities were curtailed by NWAS on March 5, 2024, before she was sacked on July 11, 2024, after a disciplinary hearing.

What did the tribunal conclude?

Lemonofides acknowledged her behaviour was unprofessional and breached professional boundaries, and accepted failing to recognise the seriousness of the patient’s condition. However, she denied it had been discriminatory or racially motivated and denied making the comment about watching the incident back and laughing.

The tribunal found all six factual particulars proved. It concluded the behaviour constituted serious professional misconduct, warning of a “high risk of repetition”. The nature 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 HCPC register. A spokesperson for North West Ambulance Service 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.”

This case serves as a sobering reminder of the standards expected of those entrusted with our most vulnerable in moments of crisis. The patient, who faced a 50 per cent chance of survival, was treated with contempt rather than care. That such conduct went as far as it did, before a colleague had the courage to speak up, raises uncomfortable questions about the culture within parts of our health service.