Lives Worth Saving
Wow.
Two ambulancemen have been arrested by police after they were heard allegedly discussing whether they should bother to resuscitate a disabled man who had collapsed at home and subsequently died.Barry Baker, 59, who lived alone, had dialled 999 saying that he thought he was having a heart attack. An ambulance was sent to his house while a controller kept him talking on the line.
By the time the ambulancemen arrived at the house in Patcham, Brighton, Mr Baker had collapsed, but the telephone line was still open and was being recorded.
It is alleged that staff in the control centre heard the two medics making disparaging comments about the state of the house.
A police source, who asked not to be named, said that the ambulancemen were then heard discussing Mr Baker and saying “words to the effect that he was not worth saving”.
The source said that the two men were allegedly first heard commenting on the untidy state of the house and then saying that it was not worth bothering to resuscitate Mr Baker.
They are said to have discussed what to tell ambulance control and decided to say that Mr Baker was already dead when they got there.
The controllers were said to be so shocked by what had allegedly been said that they contacted senior managers, who called the police.
“Obviously the crew did not realise that the phone was still connected and, of course, the 999 call was recorded on tape,” the source said.
“The tape recording of what the paramedics allegedly said has been handed over to the Sussex Police Major Crime Team as evidence.”
Sussex Police confirmed that two men had been arrested and that a full-scale investigation into the incident was being carried out by the major crime team.
A police spokeswoman said: “The men, aged 35 years and 44 years and from the Brighton area, have been arrested and questioned following the death of a man in Brighton.
“They were detained on suspicion of wilfully neglecting to perform a duty in public office, contrary to Common Law. They have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.”
The two men, who are both based at Brighton ambulance station, have been bailed until a date in January and have been suspended from duty.
Mr Baker, who used sticks to help to him walk after undergoing hip replacement surgery, made the emergency call to the South East Coast Ambulance Service headquarters in Lewes in the early hours of November 29.
You know, I hate the idea that I'm alive by dumb luck... but sometimes that's what it really seems like.
And people wonder why I'm so interested in power.
It wasn't all that long ago that anyone like me at all was alive simply by more powerful people's leave.
And it's supposedly a sin that I'm dominant?
Sorry, "radical feminists," but this is how I make sure there's space for me in the world. By not backing down, and by acting like I deserve that space. By ordering people to give it to me, and to others, if need be.
Two ambulancemen have been arrested by police after they were heard allegedly discussing whether they should bother to resuscitate a disabled man who had collapsed at home and subsequently died.Barry Baker, 59, who lived alone, had dialled 999 saying that he thought he was having a heart attack. An ambulance was sent to his house while a controller kept him talking on the line.
By the time the ambulancemen arrived at the house in Patcham, Brighton, Mr Baker had collapsed, but the telephone line was still open and was being recorded.
It is alleged that staff in the control centre heard the two medics making disparaging comments about the state of the house.
A police source, who asked not to be named, said that the ambulancemen were then heard discussing Mr Baker and saying “words to the effect that he was not worth saving”.
The source said that the two men were allegedly first heard commenting on the untidy state of the house and then saying that it was not worth bothering to resuscitate Mr Baker.
They are said to have discussed what to tell ambulance control and decided to say that Mr Baker was already dead when they got there.
The controllers were said to be so shocked by what had allegedly been said that they contacted senior managers, who called the police.
“Obviously the crew did not realise that the phone was still connected and, of course, the 999 call was recorded on tape,” the source said.
“The tape recording of what the paramedics allegedly said has been handed over to the Sussex Police Major Crime Team as evidence.”
Sussex Police confirmed that two men had been arrested and that a full-scale investigation into the incident was being carried out by the major crime team.
A police spokeswoman said: “The men, aged 35 years and 44 years and from the Brighton area, have been arrested and questioned following the death of a man in Brighton.
“They were detained on suspicion of wilfully neglecting to perform a duty in public office, contrary to Common Law. They have been released on police bail pending further inquiries.”
The two men, who are both based at Brighton ambulance station, have been bailed until a date in January and have been suspended from duty.
Mr Baker, who used sticks to help to him walk after undergoing hip replacement surgery, made the emergency call to the South East Coast Ambulance Service headquarters in Lewes in the early hours of November 29.
You know, I hate the idea that I'm alive by dumb luck... but sometimes that's what it really seems like.
And people wonder why I'm so interested in power.
It wasn't all that long ago that anyone like me at all was alive simply by more powerful people's leave.
And it's supposedly a sin that I'm dominant?
Sorry, "radical feminists," but this is how I make sure there's space for me in the world. By not backing down, and by acting like I deserve that space. By ordering people to give it to me, and to others, if need be.