Paramedic to be sentenced over Midlands patient death

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A West Midlands paramedic will be sentenced next month after pleading guilty to failing to discharge his duty of care to a man who collapsed and died outside a hospital emergency department in 2012.

Matthew Geary, 36, has admitted he failed to provide a “prompt and proper” examination of 47-year-old Carl Cope when he collapsed outside Walsall Manor Hospital in June 2012.

A total of 11 NHS staff were suspended over the incident. Five were later sacked, four received written warnings and one resigned.

Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust

Carl Cope collapsed outside Walsall Manor Hospital

Mr Geary, who is due to appear at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 11 February for sentencing, also accepted he did not start resuscitation attempts quickly enough, the court confirmed to HSJ.

The case against nurse Lisa Cooper, who was charged with failing to discharge a relevant duty of care, was dropped after prosecutors offered no evidence against her. Judge John Warner formally found her not guilty on 12 January.

Five NHS staff, four paramedics and a nurse, were arrested by West Midlands Police following Mr Cope’s death.

Mr Cope was taken by ambulance to the hospital after he called 999 complaining of chest pains.

He had not been discharged but went outside the hospital where he suddenly collapsed in view of passers by. A post-mortem later revealed he died of a heart attack.

Following a joint investigation by Walsall Healthcare Trust and West Midlands Ambulance Service Foundation Trust, two nurses, a receptionist and a hospital porter were sacked. Two other staff - a receptionist and a porter - received written warnings.

One paramedic from West Midlands Ambulance Service was sacked in August 2012 and another resigned. Two other ambulance staff received written warnings.

West Midlands Police told HSJ no further action would be taken against the three paramedics arrested in 2012.

Walsall Healthcare chief executive Richard Kirby told HSJ following the investigation in 2012 that “staff saw what was going on and did not respond in the way they should have done”.

He added: “The level of care provided to this patient was unacceptable and fell well below our aim to provide a consistently first class experience to all those that use our services.”