Mayor has run in with ambulance staff

Was Mayor Williams exhausted, or was there some other factor behind the Mayor's assault of ambulance staff trying to help him?





An Auckland mayor who collapsed at a Navy function on Friday was taken to hospital amid allegations of a run-in with ambulance staff who treated him. North Shore Mayor Andrew Williams said last night he had no recollection of the incident but was exhausted and dehydrated from an illness contracted during a council trip to Asia.

St John confirmed that a 50-year-old man was taken by ambulance from the Devonport Navy base to North Shore Hospital at 7.30pm with breathing problems and discharged later that night.

Assistant regional operations manager Murray Holt said the ambulance officer filed an incident report, which are used to flag any concerns. "In that report, he recommends no further follow-up be taken in relation to the incident. We supported him in that decision," said Holt. He declined to reveal further details.

A caller to the Herald on Sunday, who did not want to be identified, said he was at the hospital emergency department on Friday night. Staff were talking about how the mayor had had an altercation with ambulance workers who treated him, forcing Navy staff to intervene. Navy spokeswoman Lieutenant Commander Barbara Cassin declined to comment.


Williams is recuperating at his North Shore home.