Ambulance bosses are to apologise to a 97-year-old World War II hero who was left in agony for more than three hours after breaking his hip.
Royal Navy commander John Lorimer fell at his home in Kirkmichael, Ayrshire. He didn’t call for help, but woke up the next day in excruciating pain and couldn’t get out of bed.
His son Patrick, 73, called emergency services at about 9am but an ambulance didn’t arrive until after midday.
Great-grandfather of six John was taken to University Hospital Ayr, where he had hip replacement surgery the next day.
Ambulance staff have been set an eight-minute target to respond to the most serious emergencies. Other calls are gauged depending on the level of need.
Labour’s health Monica Lennon said: “It’s upsetting to hear that anyone in severe pain has been made to wait hours for an ambulance, least of all a 97-year-old veteran who has served his country.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service said it would carry out a full inquiry into
the “circumstances of the delay”.
