A faulty phone line could have “potentially fatal” consequences for two elderly Pitlochry residents, it has been claimed.
James and Patricia McPherson, who live at Sunnybrae sheltered housing, had a vital emergency alarm cut off on Wednesday and repeated attempts to have it reconnected have failed.
The pensioners, who are 94 and 87 and have breathing and mobility difficulties, rely on a pendant alarm connected to a control room in Edinburgh via their phone line.
Without even the backup of a landline phone, the couple’s son, Garth, 51, says they would be unable to summon help in an emergency.
BT insists the issue is a fault in the line but Garth believes it may be connected to a letter his parents received recently.
He said: “We received a letter from BT saying they had a request from a business wanting my parents’ phone number. It said that if they didn’t hear from us by June 9 they’d assume we no longer required it and would give it to the third party.
“I phoned on behalf of my father and said we use the number and pay the bill every month and was told not to worry, it would be cancelled.”
He said the line was a crucial lifeline for his parents.
“It’s not just for social purposes my mother and father need the line, it’s part of their alarm and they have now been without that for days,” he said.
“If they fall in the night and need an ambulance, doctor or assistance in general they can’t summon that help they could lie and die.
“At night time there is no one else there for them, so they are reliant on the alarm service.”
A spokesman for BT said: “The request to take over the line, which was scheduled for Monday June 9, was cancelled on the instructions of Mr and Mrs McPherson.
“Coincidentally, their line developed a fault on Wednesday and Openreach are working to repair it as soon as possible.”