The Mirror
LOUIESMITH, U.K. — A paramedic who let down a tyre on her ambulance to dodge a 999 call out has been barred from the job for five years.
Victoria Parker avoided treating an old lady who had fallen because she wanted to get home on time.
She admitted deflating the tyre in a lay-by 30 minutes before she was due to finish her shift when interviewed during an internal probe.
She said: “I untwiddled the valve cap and with my pen I let a little air out of the tyre. I told control we had a slow flat.” A misconduct hearing was told Parker was with a student when the call for help came in South Woodham Ferrers, Essex.
Sarah Harris, for the Health Professions Council, said: “The student was asked by Ms Parker to stop in a layby. Once the vehicle had come to a stop, Parker advised her that he didn’t want to finish late so she would let the air out of a tyre and inform control that they could not take that call.”
The incident came to light when she was accused of letting down an ambulance tyre during a separate call-out.
Clare Reggiori, who chaired the hearing, said: “The registrant’s actions were serious, deliberate, wilful and reckless.”
Parker, who has left the East of England Ambulance NHS Trust and now lives in Australia, was found guilty of misconduct and dishonesty yesterday. The panel which banned her also ruled she had intimidated and bullied students she supervised.
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