A paramedic who told a stroke patient that "Jesus and Jehovah are not coming to help you" and refused to assist her in descending stairs has been struck off the professional register. Rachel Lemonofides, a British Army reservist with the rank of staff sergeant, was dismissed by the North West Ambulance Service in July 2024 following allegations of making dozens of discriminatory or racially motivated comments to or about the patient in January 2024.

A tribunal determined that Lemonofides made up to 31 such comments. The incident occurred on January 11, 2024, when an ambulance was called to the patient's home due to severe chest pain. The patient was later diagnosed with a burst aorta, a blood clot in the brain causing a stroke, and an abdominal aortic aneurysm. She was given a 50% chance of surviving the necessary emergency heart surgery.

During the 104 minutes the ambulance crew spent at the scene, Lemonofides allegedly accused the patient of "ridiculous behaviour" and acting "like a child." Her reported remarks included telling the patient, "You are stuck on the floor like a child," "This is a bit like silly behaviour now," and "We are not helping you like this, you are being silly." She also told the patient, "I am really mad now because people are waiting for this ambulance and you are acting like a child."

Lemonofides refused to help the patient walk downstairs, leading the patient to crawl. The paramedic reportedly said the woman was "behaving as if you are possessed" and threatened to inform her employer of her behavior. She also told the patient, "You are not dying, you have got a bad back" and "You should be assessed by the mental health team."

The tribunal found that Lemonofides accused the patient of "wasting time and making a scene" and stated, "I'm not going to help you" when asked for assistance to stand or descend the stairs. She also threatened to inform the patient's employer, saying, "we will tell your employer that you are being funny."

Lemonofides also commented that the patient was "just being dramatic" and that she had "gone through child labour which is worse than this pain." In remarks seemingly made to a colleague, Lemonofides questioned, "Does she believe in black magic or anything like that?" and stated, "I can't believe someone with a child is behaving like this."

Her final comments to the patient included, "we can't take you to the hospital because your condition is not that serious" and "you have 60 seconds to get up or we are leaving."

While Lemonofides admitted to making the comments, she denied they were discriminatory on ethnic grounds. However, the tribunal ruled that the comments were discriminatory, racially motivated, and unprofessional, breaching professional boundaries. The panel cited audio recordings where Lemonofides told the patient, "stop with this nonsense," potentially in response to the patient speaking in her native language, suggesting hostility towards the patient's ethnicity. A colleague confirmed that white female patients treated on the same day did not receive similar treatment.

The tribunal concluded that Lemonofides's conduct was likely discriminatory on the grounds of ethnicity and demonstrated a bias towards the woman's ethnic group. The panel described her conduct as "abhorrent" and noted a lack of dignity, respect, empathy, or compassion.

Lemonofides also faced accusations of failing to recognize the seriousness of the patient's condition, which the tribunal found proven after the patient described crawling downstairs due to an inability to walk and not receiving assistance. A housemate testified that Lemonofides physically moved away and refused to help when the patient reached out for support.

A spokesperson for the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust confirmed that Lemonofides no longer works for the trust, emphasizing that all patients are entitled to dignity and respect. The Army has declined to release personal information related to the case due to data protection laws.