McGILL: PARAMEDICS DIDN’T SPOT SWINE FLU ‘VICTIM’ WAS FIVE MONTHS PREGNANT

Two paramedics failed to notice a sick woman was pregnant because they were convinced she was suffering from swine flu, a hearing was told today (Thurs).

Eric McGill and Michael Beard entered the woman’s house in protective masks and spent less than a minute checking her vital signs before concluding she did not need hospital treatment, it was said.

The woman was later diagnosed with pneumonia by another ambulance crew and had to spend several days recovering in intensive care, the Health Professions Council heard.

The paramedics, who were based at Hillingdon ambulance station in west London, are now facing misconduct hearing.

They claim the allegations against them have been fabricated as part of a campaign of victimisation by London Ambulance Service bosses.

The pair were called out to the 20-year-old woman’s home in Hayes at around 3am on July 24, 2009.

Laura Ryan, for the HPC, told the panel: ‘The patient was seen and it was noted she was possibly suffering from swine flu.

‘She was subsequently left at the scene and a copy of her patient record form posted through the letterbox.

‘That form has been considered and was unsatisfactory for several reasons.

‘Some of the key medical history is missing – the main bit of that is the fact that she was 22 weeks pregnant and that is not referred to.

‘The HPC’s case is that this patient provided the information but the paramedics failed to consider it and note it accordingly.’

The pair also failed to take action after McGill, who was acting as the lead paramedic, found the patient’s pulse was abnormally high and did not discover that she had suffered from the potentially life-threatening condition of pre-eclampsia during her first pregnancy, the panel was told.

She was also not given an opportunity to sign the patient record card, which was incomplete and illegible in several places, it is alleged.

The hearing was read extracts from a statement giving by the patient, who was not named, during an internal investigation by the ambulance trust.

In that statement, she said: ‘They entered wearing masks. I think they thought I had swine flu.

‘They didn’t bring their bags in. One male took my temperature and then said: “Yes, it’s swine flu.”‘

Ms Ryan said the patient called an ambulance the following day and was this time taken to hospital.

‘She was diagnosed with pneumonia and placed in intensive care for several days,’ she added.

An internal investigation was launched after the patient’s stepfather complained, the panel was told.

McGill resigned two days before a disciplinary hearing was due to take place, while Beard was given a final written warning.

Beard, who is representing himself at the hearing, claimed he and McGill had been victimised by ambulance services bosses, who he accused of fabricating the complaint against them.

He told the panel: ‘None of the statements were signed, the complaint form was not signed.

‘I’m getting a picture here that there probably was no complaint.

‘Witch-hunt seems a bit severe, but I think there was probably a list of personnel that management might like to have seen removed from the station for whatever reason.’

McGill said he had been suffering from tiredness and stress at the time and had asked bosses to be transferred from 12-hour to eight-hour shifts.

Both paramedics deny failing to provide appropriate care, failing to convey the patient to hospital and failing to query her medical history.

McGill further denies failing to keep concise, legible and accurate records, while Beard denies failing to take observations.

If found guilty of misconduct they could be kicked out of the profession.

The hearing continues.

ends