28th January 2005
NEWS RELEASE
Selby paramedic cautioned by UK health regulator

A paramedic registered in Selby has been cautioned for a period of three years by the Health Professions Council. David Page will be able to continue using the legally protected title 'paramedic' but a caution will appear next to his name on the register for the next three years.

A panel of the Conduct and Competence Committee met yesterday to consider the case of David Page at Newcastle Swallow Imperial Hotel.

Robert Clegg, Chair of the Panel said... "The Committee today has read and listened carefully to all the evidence that has been presented to it.

We have heard from three entirely separate witnesses. In each case they had raised concerns about the behaviour of the registrant, David Page, at the end of the shift they were working.

All three witnesses were found to be credible and despite the passage of time, consistently maintained the views they had expressed at the time. It was only after the third incident in December 2000 that these concerns were formally investigated.

We do not accept Mr Page's submission that the disciplinary charges had been raised primarily in response to an unresolved grievance that he had lodged with his employers in November of that year and only requested a stage 2 grievance 2 days before the last allegation.

On the first allegation of stealing money from patients we find this is not founded. No evidence of any money being missing has been given to the panel.

On the second allegation of attempting to steal money from patients, we have been satisfied that the allegation is well-founded. In support of this we have relied on Mr Moat's evidence, and Mr Daglish's evidence relating to the incident which occurred in the morning on 16th August 2000.

On the third allegation, of searching patients' property without justification, we find this well-founded. In this instance we have relied more heavily on the evidence given by Mr Henderson in respect of the patients' bag and purse being rummaged.

The sanctions available in this case have been outlined to the hearing and we have considered them as follows:

Mediation or taking no further action in a case where the allegations are of this nature is not appropriate. We feel that striking-off or suspension would, given the passage of time and the circumstances of the case, be punitive. In the circumstances a Conditions of Practice order is not feasible. We have decided, therefore, to issue a caution for a period of three years and instruct the Registrar to annotate the register accordingly.

The Health Professions Council is a UK wide health regulator set up to protect the public. It sets standards for thirteen health professions. The HPC only registers people who meet its standards for their professional skills, behaviour and health, and will take action against people who do not.