An NHS emergency medical technician has been dismissed after contacting a suicidal patient he treated in an ambulance and later meeting her in person, an employment tribunal has heard.
Ivan Perkins, 42, was working for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust when he attended a call in August 2022 involving a woman who had attempted to take her own life.
The tribunal heard that after taking the patient to hospital, Perkins encouraged her to contact him on social media and shared his phone number. He later exchanged messages with her, including calling her “Sleeping Beauty” and addressing her as “gorgeous”.
Despite the woman continuing to express suicidal thoughts, Perkins did not report the situation to emergency services. Instead, he arranged to meet her, bought her flowers and attempted to support her personally rather than referring her back to professionals.
On one occasion, he met her near a bridge after she said she was considering harming herself and physically stopped her from climbing. He later drove her away and did not inform police or ambulance services.
Several months later, another ambulance crew attended the same patient and learned about her previous contact with Perkins. She told staff that a male medic had taken her on a “date”. The matter was reported to managers.
An internal investigation found Perkins had breached professional boundaries and safeguarding procedures. He was dismissed in February 2023, and his appeal was unsuccessful.
Perkins later brought a claim of race discrimination, arguing he had been treated unfairly. However, the tribunal rejected the claim, finding there was no evidence that race played any role in the decision to dismiss him.
The panel said Perkins had failed to act appropriately when dealing with a vulnerable patient and had placed himself in an unsuitable personal relationship with someone at serious risk.
Perkins said he intends to appeal and maintains that he did nothing wrong.