A distraught woman was forced to dial 999 after her desperate pleas to help her stricken husband were refused by a Monifieth health centre.
Gordon Duncan (45) was having a severe asthma attack on the doorstep of Monifieth Medical Practice.
His wife Lynne (44) begged staff to help her husband but she was told to drive him to his own GP in Carnoustie five-and-a-half miles away.
She was told, “It’s only 10 minutes in the car.”
Mrs Duncan, who works as a nurse at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee, realised the danger signs and phoned 999.
An ambulance raced to the scene and Mr Duncan was given oxygen and nebulised by paramedics in the car park.
It took them 45 minutes to stabilise the car salesman.
Last night the practice said it would review its emergency protocol procedures in light of what happened.
Lynne said she was still angry and in disbelief at what happened.
The drama unfolded at lunchtime on Tuesday when Mr and Mrs Duncan were going to visit relatives in Monifieth with daughters Hannah (14) and Chloe (9).
Mr Duncan suffered an asthma attack and Lynne drove them to the nearby health centre in Victoria Street.
“We were at my brother’s house and he started having an asthma attack,” Mrs Duncan said.
“He used his inhaler and it wasn’t relieving it so he multi-dosed through his inhaler about 10 or 12 times and it was getting worse.
“I knew that we had to seek help but the chemist in Monifieth was closed.
“So the next port of call was the health centre in Monifieth. I drove and he was sitting in the passenger seat.
“My daughters were in the back.”
Mrs Duncan added, “By that time he couldn’t speak because he was getting breathless and he wasn’t looking too hot at that point.
“He was pale and clammy and getting a bit panicky and he didn’t have the breath to speak at all.
“I told him to wait in the car because I knew he couldn’t walk into the health centre.”
Lynne said she told the receptionist her husband was having a severe asthma attack in the car and had used his inhaler and there was no relief.
She asked if someone could come and give them assistance.
“She said, ‘Are you at this practice?'” Mrs Duncan said.
“I said, ‘No we live in Carnoustie’ and she said, ‘Well you’ll have to take him to Carnoustie.’
“I said, ‘I can’t take him to Carnoustie. It’s too far away,’ and she said, ‘It’s only 10 minutes in the car.’
“She went away and spoke to another receptionist and she came over and said, ‘No, I’m afraid we can’t see you. You’re not at this practice.
‘You are only 10 minutes in the car you’ll have to go to Carnoustie.’
“My reaction at that point was disbelief.
“I said I was not prepared to drive to Carnoustie. I wanted to phone an ambulance.
“They said, ‘Oh well, that’s fine… sorry,’ and that was it.
“I never at any point got offered to speak to a nurse or a doctor. It was just a point-blank refusal.
“I thought, ‘I don’t have time to argue with you,’ so I just went outside and phoned an ambulance.
“I didn’t want to do that but I thought it was my only option at that point.
“He could have had a respiratory arrest in the car and if I am on the dual carriageway with two children in the car what am I supposed to do?”
Lynne said when the ambulance arrived the first words the paramedic asked her was, “Why are you in the car park?”
She said they were also in total disbelief that nobody would see Mr Duncan.
Lynne added, “She came round to the passenger side of the car and took one look at Gordon and went and got the oxygen.
“They took him into the ambulance and they asked us to wait in the car because I had the children and they were quite upset at this point.
“He was in the back of the ambulance for about 45 minutes while his condition stabilised.
“They were giving him a nebuliser. I knew that was all he needed but I was refused.”
Gordon was asked if he wanted to go to hospital for a check-up but they decided to go home.
He’s now much better after his ordeal but Mrs Duncan remains extremely upset.
“People have died from asthma attacks,” she said. “Receptionists are not qualified to make decisions like that.
“I am a nurse and I knew the situation we were in. If it had been anybody else they might have driven to Carnoustie and it might have turned out a lot more serious.
“My anger is not with the doctors or nurses because I’m not even sure they got to know.
“It is with the receptionist for that barrier between assistance.”
NHS Tayside primary care manager Alan Collins said, “When the lady in question arrived at Monifieth Medical Centre there were unfortunately no clinical staff on site to assist due to GPs attending house calls and pre-booked leave. It was also over the lunchtime period.
“The practice will review their emergency protocol procedures and can only apologise that medical assistance was not available on this occasion.”