Paramedic avoids sack after calling co-worker ‘fat porker’

A misconduct panel heard that a female Derbyshire-based emergency technician was left sobbing after being humiliated "out of the blue". Paul Winfield berated the woman her in front of other workers at East Midlands Ambulance Service, telling her "you need to lose weight" and saying "look at the f---ing state of you". The panel heard Winfield taunted the woman by claiming she was "getting the family trait around her neck" and calling her a "f---ing fat porker". He tried to buy her bigger trousers, saying: "I'm not sure if it's your trousers that are too small or if it's your fat a---." Winfield also touched her bottom while grabbing her trousers, leaving her "absolutely disgusted". But, despite the insults, Winfield was spared the axe by a disciplinary panel and remains employed by the trust. The Health and Care Professions Tribunal Service instead reprimanded him with conditions.

 

A spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "All our colleagues deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and bullying and harassment is totally unacceptable; it is not line with our EMAS or NHS values. "We take all allegations seriously and they are investigated in line with our own internal procedures."

 

The misconduct panel was told: "Ambulance station staff were upset at having to witness the misconduct and see their colleague upset as a result. These colleagues stated that they just wanted to come to the ambulance station and do their jobs." Winfield is no longer suspended but is off work due to long-term sickness, he claimed his remarks were "banter" and accused NHS bosses of a "conspiracy". The panel accused him of being "evasive and inconsistent in his evidence". 

 

The tribunal ruled: "Attitudinal difficulties giving rise to offensive and inappropriate behaviour and bullying of a colleague, as well as upsetting other colleagues, are difficult but not impossible to remedy." Winfield was handed 12-month conditions of practice order. He must attend courses on equality, diversity and professional boundaries.

 

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