Care home 'Hitler refused to call ambulance for choking patient' (From Daily Echo)

St Cross Grange Care Home boss 'refused to call ambulance for choking patient' Nursing and Midwifery Council hears

11:44am Tuesday 12th March 2013 in News

A HAMPSHIRE care home boss described as a 'bit of a Hitler' refused to call an ambulance for a dementia patient who was choking to death, a hearing was told.

Anne Taylor allegedly made no attempt to resuscitate the woman and cruelly quipped 'she'll be dead before they get here anyway'.

She put her foot down despite the fact the nearest hospital was just a five-minute drive away, the Nursing and Midwifery Council heard.

Taylor is accused of failing to act when 'Resident A' experienced breathing difficulties during breakfast at St Cross Grange Care Home in Winchester, on June 19, 2009.

Care assistant Veronica Westcott said she felt she could not object to Taylor's decision because of the manager's fearsome reputation.

She told the panel she was convinced the patient would 'still be alive today' had Taylor called an ambulance immediately.

Ms Westcott said: 'Mrs Taylor did not call an ambulance or let anyone else in that room call an ambulance.

'She was adamant we didn't need one and I thought that was wrong.

'I strongly believe an ambulance should have been called and I was shocked that one wasn't called because it was clear Resident A needed immediate help.

'What Mrs Taylor did was to lay Resident A out on a bed, which is the last thing you do when someone is choking, as we now know she was, and then went back to her office.

'Nobody challenged her because we weren't qualified to.

'She's the care home nurse and I'm just a carer, she wanted things done her way and her way only.

'She was looked upon as a bit of a Hitler by everyone in the home because she wanted everything to be her own way.

'I did not want to question her because of the ramifications of doing so.

'In my position if you question someone above you, you could lose your job or get disciplined and that fear stopped me from speaking my mind at the time.'

Ms Westcott said she has been left 'emotionally scarred' by the incident and believes she should have challenged Taylor's decision at the time.

She also claimed she heard Taylor tell a colleague 'I think I'm in trouble now' after Resident A was pronounced dead.

It is also alleged she took over four hours to contact emergency services for another resident suffering from fits four days after the original incident.

Taylor is not attending the hearing in central London and has not formally admitted or denied any of the allegations she faces.

If found guilty of misconduct she could be kicked out of the profession.

The hearing continues.