The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has issued a formal apology after a patient, initially declared dead by one of its ambulance crews, was found to be alive upon arrival at Darlington Memorial Hospital on Friday.
The unidentified individual was transported to the hospital by paramedics who believed the patient had succumbed to an “incident” earlier that day. Upon reaching the hospital, it was discovered that the patient was, in fact, alive. The current condition of the individual has not been disclosed.
NEAS Director of Paramedicine, Andrew Hodge, expressed regret over the distress caused to the patient’s family and confirmed that an investigation into the error had been initiated. The incident was first reported by The Northern Echo.
“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. A full review of this incident is being undertaken, and we are unable to comment any further at this stage,” said Hodge.
He further mentioned that the colleagues involved in the incident are receiving appropriate support, and no additional comments will be made about individuals at this point.
