"Scottish Ambulance Service"

My two children were at the community fireworks display and I was completing some office work, waiting for the display to finish so I could take them home.

One of my children rang me in distress as they had fallen on an area of land outside. I went straight there to see them. They had slipped and were lying in a muddy area in a lot of pain and distress and could not move or get up. I rang 999. They were busy but I waited until an operator answered and I went through all the questions with them. They decided not to send an ambulance but instead asked me to keep the line clear until they could get another person to call me back.

My child was in a lot of pain and distress and there were some young people laughing at them. I was concerned that they were in a lot of pain but also they were getting cold as they were wet and muddy, and that it may rain.

I called my husband and he drove from home in his van. With some people helping, we managed to get them standing and while supporting their leg we got them into the van (without any pain relief) and we drove the van slowly to the hospital.

The staff at St Brendan's Hospital, Castlebay, Isle of Barra were super and as soon as we got there my child was able to have pain relief. They had dislocated their knee. After assessing the situation and giving them more pain medication, the doctor on call put their knee back and strapped it up. I cannot praise the staff at St Brendan's and the people who helped enough.

However, getting my child to the hospital without the help of an ambulance was extremely undignified and painful with many of their peers looking on. Plus we could have caused more damage by moving them, but we had no other option at this time.

I appreciate that on the mainland, especially in urban areas, the ambulance service may have been busy. However, I don't believe this was the case on Barra.

I feel there needs to be an urgent review of how the Ambulance Service operates in rural and remote areas.

Now that my child has had a good rest they are feeling much more like themselves and is on the road to recovery.