Patient in her 50s who was declared ‘dead’ by paramedics then ‘woke up’ in hospital passes away

A patient who apparently came back to life after being pronounced ‘dead’ by paramedics has now died, police said.

The woman, whose identity has not yet been released, was pronounced dead by paramedics on Friday.

But the patient – who was in her 50s – subsequently ‘woke up’ after being taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital, according to local reports.

However, Durham Police today confirmed the woman’s death, saying it was ‘unexpected’ and post-mortem tests will be carried out.

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) has since apologized for the distress caused to the woman’s family, and an investigation into the incident has now been launched.

Andrew Hodge, director of paramedicine at NEAS, said: ‘As soon as we became aware of this incident, we contacted the patient’s family and launched an investigation into the circumstances.

The person, whose identity has not been revealed, was pronounced dead when paramedics attended an incident before being taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital (stock image)

‘The paramedics on scene were confronted with a complex clinical case and we are working closely with our partners and other agencies involved to gain a full picture of what happened.

‘Until this investigation has been completed we cannot comment further.

‘We deeply regret the distress this has caused the family and have expressed our condolences to them during this period.

‘We also support them in this process.

‘The colleagues involved are also appropriately supported.

‘Our assessment of this incident will of course be shared with the coroner and the police, acting on the coroner’s instructions, to establish what happened.’

It is not clear when the woman died. MailOnline has contacted NEAS and Durham police for further comment.

It comes just months after a damning report looked into NEAS ambulance crews allegedly ‘concealing medical errors and withholding evidence during the coroner’s inquest’.

The independent review highlighted the case of 17-year-old Quinn Beadle, from Shildon, who was found dead in woodland near her home, and a NEAS paramedic declared her dead rather than attempting CPR.

The report, led by retired hospital boss Dame Marianne Griffiths, said: ‘Both this investigation and previous reports have identified a number of failings in the way the Trust should have responded to the incidents and subsequently in their response to concerns about the how shortcomings were accepted and followed up.

‘It is important that the Trust formally and publicly reiterates that there have been shortcomings and once again apologizes sincerely to the families involved.

‘The leadership dysfunction was allowed to continue for far too long and this had a major impact on the way teams functioned within different directorates.

“Defensiveness grew and affected team operations, transparency, candor and judgment. They also had a clear impact on the health and wellbeing of staff.”