Grove Park stroke victim 'drunk or on drugs claimed paramedics' (From News Shopper)

Grove Park stroke victim 'drunk or on drugs claimed paramedics'

8:20am Tuesday 11th September 2012 in Bromley By Mark Chandler

PARAMEDICS refused to believe a 27-year-old woman was having a stroke and instead accused her of being drunk before shaking and dragging her out the door, her family claims.

Michelle Williams' brave seven-year-old daughter called for an ambulance when her mum became ill at their home in Wydeville Manor Road, Grove Park, also alerting her grandmother.

Ms Williams' mum Debra Johncock explained: "I got a phonecall about 7.10pm from my grand-daughter Honey. She said: 'can you come quick mum's on the floor?'

"When we arrived the paramedics were there and my grand-daughters were outside in their nighties."

She added: "Inside, my daughter was sitting in vomit on the floor.

"One of her eyes was looking left and the other was looking right. Her lip was drooping to one side.

"But one paramedic was shaking her and trying to get her to stand up saying: 'You're drunk. There's no reason why you can't stand up.'

"They were saying: 'Get up, what drugs have you been taking?'"

The 51-year-old went on: "They were being so nasty. Ambulance drivers usually cheer you up, laughing and joking.

"But these men were so rude. Because my daughter's 27 they assumed she was drunk or on drugs.

"She was saying: 'I think I've had a stroke'. But they were just saying: 'Don't be silly, your tests are OK, stand up'."

Michelle's gran Carol Benchaquor, 71, also arrived on the scene and says she was shocked by the treatment.

She said: "We both looked at her and said she looked like she's had a stroke. She said the pain she was in was worse than childbirth.

"We tried to sit her up but she couldn't use her legs properly.

"The paramedics then pulled her up and dragged her through the front door, past the next block and into the ambulance. They didn't even wait for a wheelchair."

Ms Williams was eventually seen at Lewisham Hospital before being transferred to King's College Hospital for a four-hour operation, which saw her head cut open so she could receive brain surgery.

The mum-of-three has been released from hospital since the August 23 operation, but is still suffering from mobility issues, is on medication and requires a carer to look after her.

The family are writing to the London Ambulance Service demanding an apology and that the paramedics in question are properly reprimanded.

A spokeswoman for the London Ambulance Service said: "We sent a single responder in a car and an ambulance crew to the scene.

"The first of our staff arrived in four minutes. We treated one female patient and took her to hospital.

"We have not received a complaint regarding our response. If the family have concerns, we would advise them to contact our patient experiences department."