The Health Services Authority has defended its doctor who treated minister and MP Dwayne Seymour after a collision last week, contradicting police claims its staff had “objected” to the police request for a blood sample.
The HSA said in a statement that it “firmly denies” any claims that its medical practitioner objected to a police officer’s request for a blood specimen.
“In this instance, a testing kit was not provided by the RCIPS as per the established procedure,” the authority said in response to a statement from the police, explaining why no sample was obtained for investigative purposes.
The Authority’s response comes one day after the RCIPS said that they were not able to secure a blood sample from the Bodden Town East MP in the aftermath of his early morning crash on 8 Aug. when his car collided with the arm of a CAT excavator that was extending onto the road.
That collision on Anton Bodden Drive was the second crash the border control minister was involved in where no samples were retrieved, nor was he breathalysed.
Two young men from the Bodden Town area have since been arrested and bailed on suspicion of carrying out a reckless and negligent act, having allegedly moved the excavator and placed its extended arm onto the road. Seymour then collided with the extended arm.
The police, in a statement on Wednesday, said the attending medical staff objected to the police officers’ request, “on grounds that the provision of a specimen of blood would be prejudicial to the proper care and full treatment of the patient”.
HSA has denied police claims, saying, “We take these reports seriously and are committed to providing transparency on the situation”.
It offered clarification on the blood alcohol testing process for law enforcement purposes, which it said has been in place for some time and follows a specific sequence of events.
The HSA said under the established process, the police request a blood alcohol test at the hospital and if the patient is stable and alert, the police then explain the legal requirements to them.
“If the patient consents, the police provide a testing kit with the chain of custody forms, blood tubes and tube seals. The patient signs consent for the blood draw and the tube seals,” the HSA said.
It explained that once the patient signs consent, the blood is collected and divided into two tubes – one for the police and one for the patient.
Both the police and the physician sign the chain of custody forms and the police send the sample on for testing.
“This process was recently reinforced through a training of HSA’s physicians led by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and HSA’s Legal Counsel. The training focussed on blood sample provision and Section 86 (2) of the Traffic Act,” the authority said in its statement.
“Our priority continues to be maintaining the highest standards of care, professionalism, and integrity in all operations, which includes our physicians’ and staff’s commitment to supporting and cooperating with law enforcement.”
In its initial statement on the 8 Aug. crash, police had said that a request for a sample of blood was made to the attending physician for investigative purposes.
There was no indication at that time that this request was not fulfilled. It wasn’t until Wednesday that police confirmed that no sample was in fact taken from the minister.
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The Police Commissioner needs to make a public announcement on this very serious matter.
I’m confused.
I thought that the police would always breathalyze someone after an accident like this.
If not possible then a urine or blood sample would be mandatory.
It is not clear why the police have to provide the testing kit, is it different to those used at the hospital, are they expected to carry these around whenever on duty, in addition to a breathaliser?. If the patient gives consent, why do the police have to provide it?,.