A 52-year-old woman has received £2,000 in compensation after experiencing a distressing encounter with a paramedic.

This resulted in the paramedic being struck off the register.

Alison Booth from Lancashire, received compensation after Patient Claim Line represented her in a claim against North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

North West Ambulance Service agreed a settlement following a failure to appropriately handle Mrs Booth when she called for an ambulance.

On June 8, 2016, Mrs Booth called an ambulance as she was suffering with severe chest pain. At around 9.55am, the Defendant paramedic and her Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) arrived at Mrs Booth’s house.

The 52 year old advised the EMT that she was experiencing severe chest pain. Whilst Mrs Booth was explaining this to the EMT, the Defendant paramedic stood with her arms folded and rolled her eyes when Mrs Booth spoke.

The Defendant’s EMT confirmed that the Defendant paramedic ‘tutted’ when Mrs Booth was discussing the level of pain that she was experiencing.

Mrs Booth was in a significant amount of pain at this stage and she was asked by the Defendant paramedic to score the pain that she was experiencing. Mrs Booth advised that it was the ‘worst pain that she had ever experienced’.

Therefore, she scored the pain 100. The pain score was explained to Mrs Booth and she advised that her pain was a nine out of 10. The Defendant paramedic advised that this this level of pain would reflect someone who had suffered an amputation of the arm or leg.

The Defendant paramedic recorded Mrs Booth’s pain as a five. This was incorrect and a falsified scoring level. This was not the score that Mrs Booth had provided to the paramedics. Mrs Booth was advised that she would have to be taken to hospital via ambulance.

She walked to the ambulance and the paramedic delegated her care to the EMT. The Defendant paramedic should not have delegated her care. Sadly, Mrs Booth suffered a heart attack and underwent a bypass on June 15, 2016.

On August 29, 2016, the Defendant paramedic had a ‘fitness to practice tribunal’. The conclusion of the tribunal was to strike the name of the Defendant from the register.
Rebecca Kelly, Assocaite Solicitor in the Medical Negligence department at Patient Claim Line, said: “Mrs Booth has always suffered with depression prior to the negligence. This was exacerbated following the Defendant paramedic’s actions. Mrs Booth now suffers with heightened anxiety and a constant low mood.

“Mrs Booth was extremely distressed at the time of the negligence as the paramedic did not take her seriously and she was concerned as to what could happen to her health whilst in the paramedics care.

“Following the Defendant paramedic’s tribunal Mrs Booth contacted Patient Claim Line for legal representation in relation to a medical negligence claim for her heightened anxiety and constant low mood. We hope that this compensation assists Alison in moving forward with her life.”

If you feel as though you have experienced any medical negligence of a similar nature then please visit our Accident and Emergency Claims page to find out more information and if you could make a claim.