Shocking Abuse: Paramedic Accused of Cruelty to Stroke Victim

A paramedic, Rachel Claire Lemonofides, has been permanently removed from the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) register after a tribunal found she made a series of "inappropriate and degrading" comments to a seriously ill patient, and exhibited discriminatory and racially motivated behaviour. The incident occurred in January 2024 during a 999 call at the patient's home, where Lemonofides refused to believe the woman was unable to walk, forcing her to crawl downstairs.

During the call, the patient, who was later diagnosed with a stroke and a life-threatening burst aorta, was subjected to a barrage of demeaning remarks. Lemonofides told her, "You are lying, stop what you are doing, stop being a baby, let's go downstairs." She further accused the patient of "wasting time" and "making a scene," threatening her with, "You have 60 seconds to get up or we are leaving." The tribunal heard that Lemonofides also dismissed the patient's pain, stating, "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." On several occasions, as the patient cried out in pain, Lemonofides was heard telling her to "shut up."

Despite experiencing severe symptoms including chest pain, low blood pressure, numbness in her legs, and a "not particularly normal" ECG, Lemonofides failed to recognise the critical nature of the patient's condition. The panel concluded that there was "enough physical evidence" available to her to indicate a serious illness requiring urgent hospital treatment. The patient was eventually transferred to Wythenshawe Hospital, where doctors discovered she had suffered a brain bleed and an abdominal aortic aneurysm, requiring emergency surgery. She was in a coma for 10 days and given a 50 per cent chance of survival.

Furthermore, the tribunal found that Lemonofides' behaviour included elements of racial discrimination. She repeatedly referred to "black magic" and described the patient as behaving as if she were "possessed." These comments were deemed to be about the patient's race, demonstrating "hostility and a discriminatory attitude." The panel highlighted that this racial bias, whether conscious or unconscious, was "at the forefront" of her conduct, leading to "wholly unfair and unacceptable treatment" of a vulnerable individual. The overall behaviour was described as "belittling and degrading" with "clear hostility" towards the patient, deemed "totally unprofessional and wholly unacceptable from a Paramedic."

The egregious conduct was reported by another paramedic who was present during the incident and was shocked by her colleague's actions. Lemonofides later attempted to downplay the severity of the situation to her junior colleague, stating, "If it had been filmed, you would watch it back and laugh at it," which the panel saw as an attempt to "minimise or make light" of what had happened. A formal complaint was lodged on January 13, 2024, followed by a written complaint from the patient's relative. Lemonofides' operational duties were restricted by the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) on March 5, 2024, and she was dismissed on July 11, 2024.

During the tribunal, Lemonofides admitted that her conduct was unprofessional and breached professional boundaries, and conceded that she failed to recognise the seriousness of the patient's condition. However, she denied that her actions were discriminatory or racially motivated and denied making the comment about laughing at a filmed incident. The tribunal found all six factual particulars proved, concluding that her conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct with a "high risk of repetition." The panel determined that the nature of her behaviour, particularly the discriminatory and racially motivated conduct, was "so serious that they are incompatible with continued registration." Consequently, she was struck off the HCPC register. A spokesperson for NWAS affirmed that the individual no longer works for the trust, stating, “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.”