North East Ambulance Service patient declared dead woke up in hospital

The ambulance service indicated that a review of the incident is taking place

An ambulance trust has apologised after a patient who was declared "dead" later woke up in hospital.

As first reported by The Northern Echo, the individual was taken by paramedics to Darlington Memorial Hospital on Friday.

The newspaper reported they had been declared dead following an incident earlier that day.

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) apologised to the patient's family and said an inquiry had begun.

The patient has not been identified or their current condition revealed.

'Deeply sorry'

NEAS director of paramedicine Andrew Hodge said: "As soon as we were made aware of this incident, we opened an investigation and contacted the patient's family.

"We are deeply sorry for the distress that this has caused them.

"A full review of this incident is being undertaken and we are unable to comment any further at this stage.

"The colleagues involved are being supported appropriately and we will not be commenting further about any individuals at this point."

County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Darlington Memorial Hospital, did not wish to add to the statement issued by NEAS.

Earlier this year a critical report was published into how NEAS ambulance workers had covered up failings and withheld evidence from inquests.

The families of a teenager and a 62-year-old man were not told that paramedics' responses to their loved ones' deaths were being investigated by NEAS.

Following its publication, the organisation apologised "for any distress caused to the families" by past mistakes.