Patient who was declared ‘dead’ by paramedics ‘wakes up’ in hospital hours later: Ambulance service apologises for causing ‘distress’ to the family as it launches probe

A patient who was reportedly declared dead by paramedics ‘woke up’ in hospital hours later. 

The individual, whose identity has not been revealed, was declared dead when 999 ambulance workers attended an incident before being taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital.

The patient then ‘woke up’ after they reached the hospital on Friday, the Northern Echo reported. 

The North East Ambulance Service has issued an apology and launched an investigation into the incident. 

The patient’s current condition has not been revealed.

Andrew Hodge, the North East Ambulance Service Director of Paramedicine, said ‘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.

‘The colleagues involved are being supported appropriately and we will not be commenting further about any individuals at this point.’

MailOnline has contacted the North East Ambulance Service for further comment. 

The incident comes just months after a damning report looked into NEAS ambulance workers allegedly ‘hiding medical errors and withholding evidence at the coroner’s inquests’.

The independent review highlighted the tragic case of 17-year-old Quinn Beadle, from Shildon, who was found dead in woodland near her home, and a NEAS paramedic who declared her dead rather than trying to perform CPR.

The report, led by retired hospital boss Dame Marianne Griffiths, said: ‘Both this investigation and previous reports have found a number of failings in how the Trust should have responded to the incidents and then in their response to concerns about how failings were accepted and followed up.

‘It is important that the Trust formally and publicly reiterates that there have been failings and restates its wholehearted apologies to the families concerned.

‘Leadership dysfunction was allowed to continue for far too long and this had a major impact on how teams within different directorates operated.

‘A defensiveness grew and affected team operations, transparency, candour and judgement. They also clearly impacted the health and wellbeing of staff.’