Copyright dailyrecord
A West Lothian man claims he was told to call himself an ambulance by a receptionist at his local GP practice while experiencing severe chest pains. Daniel ‘Danny’ Carrigan, 78, was shopping at his local supermarket when he took ill and began experiencing chest pains which he initially thought could be early signs of a heart attack. Danny, from Armadale, acts as a full time carer for his wife and knew if he called an ambulance right away he wouldn’t be able to go home and make sure she was okay before going to the hospital. Since he has experienced heart problems in the past, he decided to see if his GP could check him over and advise him on whether he required urgent medical attention. But when he went to Barbauchlaw Medical Practice in Armadale at the end of September he was reportedly turned away by the receptionist. After being contacted by Edinburgh Live, Alison White, Director of West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership, responded on behalf of the practice and confirmed an investigation is underway. She also apologised to Danny for any distress caused and reiterated all complaints are taken seriously. Speaking to Edinburgh Live , Danny said: “I went out for messages Monday morning and I felt ok, felt fine, not any different. I was in Aldi and I was going up the aisle and all of a sudden this pain came across my chest. “I thought: ‘I’m going to pass out.’ My head was foul and sweat was starting to come down the side of my face.” Thinking he might be sick, Danny went to the toilet and remembers wrapping the red emergency cord around his hand in case he passed out. He continued: “I came out and I was very, very nauseated and still that pain right across my chest, around my back. I had to come home because my wife. I’ve only been out for messages and there’s nobody, we don’t have any relatives [nearby]. “I said: ‘I’ve got to go home.’ In the car and going into the Armadale, I said: ‘I’m going into the doctor’. “There was a queue, maybe about five people. So another receptionist came walking through to help, the one that was there. She shouted next and I said ‘Is there any chance for the doctor just to have a look at me’. “Really I knew I was going to the hospital. I knew that was going to happen, but I wanted to make sure because I hate going there. She said ‘no.’ She added: ‘go outside and phone an ambulance.’ Despite trying to explain what was happening to the receptionist, Danny claims he was told he had to go outside and call for an ambulance, or drive himself to A&E. He said: “I was saying, my chest’s killing me. ‘I don’t care,’ she says, ‘that’s the protocol.’” After reportedly being turned away, Danny drove himself home and had to call himself an ambulance. Thankfully the emergency services response time was quick and he was given treatment before being taken to St John’s Hospital in Livingston. When the pain came back the next week however, he didn’t feel confident going to his GP and called another ambulance to his home. It later transpired Danny was suffering from narrowing of the arteries and was hospitalised for five days. He continued: “I’ve got so much gratitude for them in St. John’s. “I could have been taking a heart attack from that surgery. That woman came and told me to go outside and phone an ambulance. “At the time I was just, I was so nauseated and so much in pain. It was only after it that I looked back and thought ‘I could have died there’. And that’s that’s how I was treated. “I was quite angry. I was scared and I was angry. I’ve worked all my life, I’m 78-years-old, nearly 79 and I’m still entitled to... I’ve paid national insurance money since I was 15-years-old and that’s the way I get treated. “As the National Health Service is concerned, I have great admiration for them. I couldn’t speak highly enough the way I was treated on all occasions. “Over the last 10, 12 years, I’ve had a stent put in, I’ve had too many strokes, I’ve had that operation that they do in your throat to take an artery out because that was 95% blocked and then a double bypass. “Now that woman doesn’t even know what what my history is, she was just quite adamant that no, you’re not getting seen.” Alison White, Director of West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We are aware that there is an investigation underway following a reported incident at an independent GP practice in West Lothian. “All complaints are taken extremely seriously and we apologise for any distress caused. If anyone has concerns about their care, we encourage them to make contact with their practice.” Don't miss the latest news from the West Lothian Courier. Sign up to our free newsletter here .
