Drugs cocktail medic is cleared to carry on
APARAMEDIC who hit a central reservation and kerb after taking a cocktail of prescription drugs has been found fit to practise.
Victoria Dodd admitted to a disciplinary panel that she was lucky not to have killed or injured anyone when she drove through the Manchester streets while under the influence of tramadol, diazepam and codeine.
But she has been allowed to remain in the profession after a panel heard it was a ‘wholly isolated error of judgement’.
Dodd, from Stockport, also drove in the wrong direction to a second call on the same night, stopping for 10 seconds by the roadside, before accelerating away and swerving around parked cars. Dashcam footage shows Dodd driving erratically to a second emergency incident, hitting kerbs and a central reservation.
She also failed to turn on her headlights, warning lights and sirens until minutes into the journey, the Health and Care Professions Council heard. Footage shows the dazed paramedic jumping red lights without checking for cars then stopping at red lights when she could have gone through with her sirens on.
After making a sharp U-turn, she eventually stopped after approximately eight minutes to report a flat tyre - the time by which she should have reached the incident.
Dodd, who was based at Dukinfield ambulance station in Tameside at the time of the incident, on October 7, 2015, can keep her job after the HCPC panel ruled it was ‘an isolated error of judgement’ and her fitness to practise was not impaired for future work.
All the allegations against her were found proved and her behaviour was found to amount to misconduct. HCPC panel chair Helen Carter said: “Her actions were a breach of HCPC standards and ethics and the matters found proved were so serious to amount to misconduct.
“However, this was a wholly isolated error of judgement and not a selfish act. She firmly believed that taking the drugs would allow her to carry on her duties that night and has clearly shown a great deal of remorse and insight into her behaviour.”
Giving evidence, Dodd told the hearing: “The first time I saw the camera footage of my driving I was very upset. It wasn’t my usual driving standard and there was a clear change in my driving. I have got very little recollection of the drive to the second incident.
“I know the consequences of my actions but never had any problems with the medication before. I could have injured or killed someone with my driving and there could have been a problem with a patient that I was going to.”
Dodd admitted she failed to respond to emergency incident A and took a route which delayed her response to emergency incident B on 7 October while working as a paramedic.
She also admitted working under the influence of codeine, tramadol and diazepam between 7 and 8 October. Todd will be allowed to remain in the profession.