WATCH: Parents claim North's ambulance service failed their kids
Mum & dad come forward after MFR News investigation into 999-crisis.
Last updated 2nd Feb 2018
As we reveal more of our findings from an exclusive MFR News investigation into the North's ambulances, the 999-service is defending its response times.
All morning we've been hearing a Wick mum's terrifying experience - the day her son had an epileptic fit and his doctor needed an ambulance to take him all the way to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, for treatment.
Although the 30-year-old Highland mother claims it was 2-and-a-half-hours before an ambulance turned up, the Scottish Ambulance Service insists that she did not have to wait that long. They say it was only 2-hours-and-four-minutes.
Jenna Larnach told MFR News: "To pinch or to try and shake him - there was nothing. There was no response out of him whatsoever. It was hard. To see your child lying there like that - It's not nice. It's scary to think why it wasn't dealt with sooner.
"My GP asked us to go home and wait for an ambulance to come and collect us. We actually waited two-and-a-half-hours."
A spokesperson for ambulance bosses claim it was "an appropriate clinical response" in line with what the doctor asked for.
But Jenna says her story is an example of how there's a shortage of ambulances and crews, which happen to be overworked by health boards needing them to taxi non-emergency patients between hospitals - making them unavailable for more serious calls.
Jenna said: "I've gone down several times with my children in an ambulance. The crews are fantastic. I can't say anything bad about doctors, nurses, ambulance crews. They're really stretched. They were telling me how tired they are, and how they've done 600-transfers down to Raigmore Hospital within the last year."
"It's not fair on them. They're doing their best to do their jobs, but all the cuts being made are making it impossible for them to do it to the best of their abilities now."
RE-CAP: it's only Day Three of our week long broadcasts of special reports. You can watch, listen, and read anything you've missed so far, just go to our website...
DAY 1 - Safety watchdog 'looking into concerns raised' about North's ambulance service. For more, click here.
DAY 2 -Buckie police rush sick man to hospital IN RIOT VAN (ambulance shortage). For more, click here.
LISTEN: MFR News reader John Callan brings you this report from reporter Bryan Rutherford in the 1pm MFR 2 news bulletin...
It's also emerged that it took an ambulance 11-HOURS to take a Highland dad's sick son from Wick, to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.
Owen Hugan's asthmatic son's breathing problems were not getting any better, and doctors in the Highland capital asked the 999-service to bring them the child.
But the 34-year-old father told MFR News that it was not a straightforward experience: "They said that there were two-ambulances in Caithness and they were just waiting for one to turn up.
"They both didn't turn up. Then we told there would be one from Golspie coming. When that was due to arrive, they then said it wasn't available - it had to go elsewhere."
According to a written response from the Scottish Ambulance Service about the incident, bosses blame 'a high demand in the area' and admitted that the 'timescale could not be met.' The doctor's request was even upgraded to an emergency.
There's more on MFR's Facebook about the findings of our exclusive investigation into the North's over-stretched ambulance crews.
According to information obtained by MFR News through Freedom of Information requests, almost 300-emergency calls from the Caithness area were answered by ambulances outside of the county last year.
KEY FACTS:
- In 2016, 293-calls to 999 for ambulances in Caithness were answered by crews based outside the county.
- 168-calls to 999 for ambulances in Caithness last year were answered by a Sutherland ambulance based at Bettyhill.
- 2016: 18-emergency calls made in Caithness were responded to, by Inverness ambulances.
- Golspie ambulance transferred 69-patients between Caithness General Hospital in Wick to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness last year.
MFR News investigation getting political attention:
STATEMENT FROM SCOTTISH AMBULANCE SERVICE:
'Inter hospital transfers from Caithness to Raigmore have been increasing and our staff are working harder than ever before.
'We have recently increased staffing in Wick, Thurso, Bettyhill, Kinlochbervie and Golspie which has allowed us to improve cover and reduce on call working.
'We are working with staff and their union representatives to develop the detailed shift patterns to support the increase in cover, improve staff experience and patient care.
'We want to build on this recent investment and are supporting our staff, staff representatives, NHS Highland and the local community to develop sustainable solutions to changing demand.
'We were grateful for the opportunity to meet with CHAT, NHS Highland and local Councillors in February to explore new ways of working to help reduce pressure on the Service. We look forward to the follow up meeting at the end of the month.'
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