A paramedic with the East of England Ambulance Service has been struck off after falling asleep on a patient’s sofa and taking both hands off the steering wheel of his ambulance while on duty. Jacob Bailey’s behaviour, which also included making inappropriate comments about colleagues and sharing confidential patient information, led to the end of his career as a paramedic.
The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service uncovered a staggering 59,615 posts, comments, and reactions in a Facebook group chat between November 2021 and April 2022, many of which were highly unprofessional. In November 2021, Bailey posted a message saying, “I’m falling asleep on this patient’s sofa,” and later added, “With a patient who won’t stop moaning in pain F***** hurry up,” followed by laughing emojis.
The paramedic also breached patient confidentiality by sharing a picture of a defibrillator monitor and even posted the addresses of people he was attending to, which is a serious violation of trust and privacy. In addition, Bailey was found to have made derogatory remarks in the chat, including telling a colleague to “Go catheterise yourself,” and posted pictures of himself in his paramedic uniform, swearing at the camera.
On another occasion, Bailey was driving an ambulance with a colleague when he removed both hands from the steering wheel for approximately three seconds. The tribunal did not determine whether a patient was in the vehicle at the time, but the action was deemed highly dangerous and reckless.
Bailey, who joined the East of England Ambulance Service in 2019, was suspended in May 2022 while the investigation was ongoing. Although he initially referred to himself as a “whistleblower,” he later admitted that it was a misunderstanding. Having acknowledged the allegations, Bailey chose to voluntarily remove himself from the register.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the high standards required for those in the healthcare profession, particularly when it comes to patient care, confidentiality, and professional conduct.
