A Blairgowrie man’s half-hour wait for an ambulance after he suffered a heart attack has prompted him to launch a campaign to improve the emergency service provided for Perthshire.
Chef Bruce Grant (47) has set up a Facebook page entitled More Ambulances For Rural Perthshire, with over 100 people showing their support for it already.
Mr Grant, who collapsed in Balmoral Road, Rattray, while walking his dogs recently, has also written to local MSP John Swinney and health secretary Nicola Sturgeon.
Members of the public came to his aid last month, but a lack of ambulances in Blairgowrie and Perth at that time meant one had to be dispatched from Dundee.
A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said, “In this case, local resources, as well as three ambulances in Perth, were dealing with other patients.
“For all of these resources to be busy at once is very unusual and this is why an ambulance was sent from Dundee, arriving in 27 minutes.”
Mr Grant believes his experience shines a light on an unacceptable situation in Perthshire.
“This is a vast area that covers from Blairgowrie and the immediate surrounding area up to as far as Glenshee and as wide as Dunkeld and Pitlochry,” he said.
“There are currently only two emergency ambulance vehicles that cover this very wide area.
“There is a definite need for more ambulances to be available as at the moment there appears to be a hope that there will never be anymore than two emergencies at anyone time.
“About 80% of all road traffic accidents occur on rural roads and every year there are almost 50% more fatalities in accidents on rural roads than on urban roads.
“This shows a great need for there to be more ambulances available to the rural area.
“There is also growing cause for concern in the winter months where the weather at times in the rural areas, and particularly on the A93 Blairgowrie to Glenshee road, can be very hazardous due to heavy snow and thick fog.
“It is at these times that there is an increase in the amount of road traffic accidents or pedestrian incidents in the towns, requiring emergency medical assistance in the way of an ambulance.
“If the two Blairgowrie-based ambulances are in use, another unit has to be sent from the nearest cities which are Perth (about 19 miles away) or Dundee (about 22 miles away).”
Mr Grant has an implantable cardioverta defibrillator (ICD) and during his collapse the ICD had to shock my heart three times.
“As this is classed as a life- threatening illness, myself and all others concerned, were shocked and horrified at the response time of the emergency services (approximately 31 minutes),” he said.
“The consultant made it quite clear that if it were not for the fact that I have been fitted with an ICD, the chances of my survival at the scene, given the time lapsed, would have been very minimal, if at all.
“I find that the excuse of the two Blairgowrie-based ambulances being in use at the time really poor.
“The ambulance that I needed had to come from Dundee, which is a situation that clearly needs to be rectified to reduce the wait time for the emergency services in the Blairgowrie and surrounding areas.”
Mr Swinney said last night, “I have been contacted by Mr Grant on a number of occasions and am well aware of his concerns.
“I have highlighted his experiences to the chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service in an effort to resolve this situation.”