“They asked me the usual questions and basically asked if I had been drinking. I told them no, none of that and explained I lived on my own, that I couldn’t move. I needed help, I was in a really bad way but they said my symptoms wouldn’t warrant any help.â€
According to John, they advised NHS 24 would call back within two hours and when he stressed he was “in agony†the call handler replied: “but you are able to speak to usâ€.
An hour later in a call with NHS 24, he was advised to take some painkillers.
John said: “I told them this was starting to scare me now. There‘s sweat pouring from me and burning coming from my chest and abdomen. I pleaded for an ambulance but they said they would get a nurse to ring me in the next couple of hours to go through treatment options with me.â€
Desperate, John crawled to his front door where neighbours happened to be passing.
Horrified, they immediately rang 999 but were refused assistance.
Turned out he had a ruptured intestine and was heavily septic. His team did well though at the following Scottish Nationals, despite of their coach being confined to a hospital bed. Read for instance Fife Direct