Health and Care Professions Council determination — review hearing
HCPTS extends paramedic Debbie Porter's suspension for 12 months
The panel found a continuing repetition risk after no new evidence of insight or remediation was provided.
MedicWatch editorial · Published 10 June 2022 · Updated 23 September 2026
Suspension (suspended from practice) — 1 year
Data last checked: 23 September 2026Report a correction
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The regulator imposed a fixed-term suspension in this decision. Its start date, appeal provisions and any later review affect whether it is currently in force. Check the official register for the practitioner's current status.
Concerning Debbie Porter, paramedic (Health and Care Professions Council PA33695).
Decision date: 10 June 2022 · Hearing started 10 June 2022
In plain English
The HCPTS panel extended paramedic Debbie Porter's suspension for 12 months after finding that her fitness to practise remained impaired. Her serious clinical and record-keeping failings arose during a 2018 attendance after which a patient died. With no new evidence of insight or remediation, the panel found a continuing repetition risk but allowed a final opportunity to re-engage.
Charges
Ms Porter provided inadequate care to Patient A on 20 August 2018, including insufficient assessment and response to a low oxygen reading, failure to provide oxygen or arrange hospital conveyance, and inaccurate and incomplete record keeping.
Findings
The reviewing panel found that Ms Porter's fitness to practise remained impaired because she had provided no new evidence of reflection, insight or remediation and a risk of repetition remained. Conditions were not workable because she was not practising, while striking off was considered disproportionate at this stage. It extended her suspension for 12 months.
Mitigating and aggravating factors
Mitigating factors
The failings were remediable; Ms Porter had an otherwise unblemished career; this appeared to have been a one-off incident; she worked after the incident without further incidents; the failings were not deliberate.
Aggravating factors
The incident was extremely serious and had tragic consequences; Ms Porter had not engaged with the hearings or provided evidence of continued insight or recent remediation.
Source
All facts on this page are drawn from the publicly published Health and Care Professions Council determination linked below. MedicWatch does not editorialise the regulator’s findings.
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