Ambulance Service apologises for non-appearance after Aviemore call-out
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The Scottish Ambulance Service has apologised for not responding to an emergency call on Aviemore’s main street which left the public having to step in to deliver their own treatment and transport.
A local businesswoman contacted the Strathy last Thursday after she had been left waiting for a call from a ‘clinical practitioner’ who would decide whether or not an ambulance should attend the incident on Grampian Road.
“I was staggered,” said the caller, who asked not to be named. “There was a poor man suffering after a bad fall. I phoned for an ambulance and so did someone else and they refused to send any one out till a triage called us back.
“He fell over about 10.30am and by 11am I was still waiting on a call back. I eventually took him in the car to the hospital to get seen to. It is absolute madness. I know they are under pressure but this is ridiculous.”
An SAS spokesperson said: “While we are limited in what we can say due to patient confidentiality, we can confirm we received call on November 18 at 11:16 hours which was triaged as non-life threatening.
“All our calls are assessed to ensure the most seriously ill patients are given the highest priority and we have systems in place to direct patients to the most appropriate healthcare resources based on their needs.
“In some instances, an experienced clinician may be required to call back on lower acuity calls to determine the most appropriate response for the patient. We apologise for any distress caused and hope the patient is recovering well.”
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