LONDON — A U.K. medic who reportedly left a 93-year-old woman to die has been suspended for 12 months.
Alan Clark, recognized in the past for his dedication to the ambulance service, admitted at a Health and Care Professions Council hearing in London Wednesday that he was wrong to declare the patient dead even though there was still heart activity, according to the Telegraph.
“By his recent reflections, Mr Clark has developed a degree of insight of his shortcomings, and expressions of regret and apology are genuine,” said Gillian Fleming, the hearing’s chairman.
When a colleague offered him a defibrillator, he declined and allegedly waited more than 10 minutes to call the clinical help desk. He later requested his own defibrillator but neither used it nor performed CPR, the Telegraph said.
“We were saying her heart rate was getting slower,” said Corinne Zeiderman, a student paramedic on the Christmas Day 2010 call, “but he was on the phone in the doorway and waved his hand, to be quiet, he was not interested and he was busy.”
“At that point, there were still things we could have done for her,” she said.