Paramedic SMOKED instead of calling ambulance for tragic teen who died of meningitis A paramedic decided 13-year-old Stephanie Sanpher's meningitis symptoms were 'mundane' and that she was 'attention seeking'. A girl of 13 died of meningitis after a paramedic took 40 minutes to call an ambulance, smoking a cigarette as her condition got worse. An inquest heard how Stephanie Sanpher, of Dersingham, Norfolk, had lesions and was struggling to breathe, but the medic said she was “attention seeking”. The teenager collapsed at home prompting her worried mum Joanne, 37, to dial 999. A paramedic arrived just minutes later and smoked a cigarette before deciding the teenager's symptoms were "of a mundane nature". But after spending 41 minutes with Stephanie the unnamed man changed his mind and called an ambulance. By the time Stephanie arrived at hospital over one hour later her condition had deteriorated and she suffered a cardiac arrest. She died of meningitis four days later. Her devastated mum, Joanne, has blamed Stephanie's death on the two hours it took to transport her to hospital. She also claimed the paramedic thought her daughter was "attention-seeking" and ignored red lesions on her body. Joanne said: "He wanted to speak to me about Stephanie, but not in front of her. He walked into my front room. He obviously saw my e-cigarette on the side. "He sparked up a fag, asked to use my landline and leant out of my front room window and dialled my GP. "He was more interested in telling me that Stephanie was a naughty little girl, was putting this on and wanted attention rather than actually treating her. "He stood there showing photographs of his own children. He watched my daughter deteriorate and he did nothing. When the paramedic arrived she told him that her daughter, who had epilepsy, later suffered a seizure. Stefanie went into cardiac arrest and was transferred to a specialist hospital where she died four days later. Norfolk coroner Mrs Jacqueline Lake concluded that Stephanie had died of natural causes and called for staff working for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust to receive better training on meningitis. A spokesman for the EEAST confirmed after the hearing that the paramedic had broken rules by smoking on a callout. Griefstricken Ms Sanpher paid tribute to her daughter as 'an angel'. She said: "They didn't help her in time and that left her brain damaged. "The hospital did a great job, but it was too late by the time she got to the hospital, she was already brain damaged." She added: "We loved her so much. She was absolutely our world. She was the most kind and understanding girl. "She never judged anybody, was just an angel and no trouble. She loved the TV series Hollyoaks and the band, One Direction. "She was one of those girls that everybody loves. She could go into a room full of strangers and they would immediately take to her."

• published: 12 Nov 2014
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