Ambulance worker HUNG UP on seriously ill man - who died 17 hours after making desperate final 999 call (4 Pics)

Ronald (back left) with his family - Stuart (brother), Margaret (mother), Ronald (father), Jacqueline (sister), Margo (sister) and Janette (sister).

A 999 worker HUNG UP on a seriously ill man - who tragically died just hours after he made the desperate final call for help.

Ronald Russell, 49, passed away at his home in Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, on July 4 last year.

His family say that the landscape gardener lived alone and suffered from mental health issues.

A transcript of the call was released by relatives of Mr Russell and reveals how his pleas for help went ignored by staff from the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Medics finally arrived at his address 17 hours after the call – and only after a concerned neighbour contacted them.

A transcript of the call was released by his family

The caller was heard moaning loudly throughout the call and his response is recorded as "Ooooooh ohhh (incomprehensible sound from caller).”

The call handler once again asks if he wanted an ambulance, ignoring his previous requests.

Finally, after saying “hello?” five times without a reply, the call handler hangs up. In all, the conversation lasted three minutes.

The Scottish Ambulance Service admitted more could have been done to locate him 

The Ambulance Service rang his number three times to get Mr Russell back on the line but did not try to trace his address.

They have admitted more should have been done to track Mr Russell’s whereabouts.

A Scottish Ambulance Service report said: “It is evident on listening to the call that the call handler can hear noises and moaning.

"The correct process was followed by providing three calls back, however, due to the call handler knowing that the caller was on the line before it disconnects, there could have been more attempts to confirm the address - or for this to be highlighted to a supervisor.”

Ronald’s sister Margo Cassidy, 52, said: “It was really devastating to read that, especially because I think most people imagine that when you phone an ambulance the first thing they will ask is, “Where are you?”

“We knew he had phoned an ambulance because we had his mobile.

“When we met with the SAS the first time they told us that it had just been marked up as a silent call, but we got the transcript and when we found out that he was initially able to speak that made me really angry.

“He died because of the lack of oxygen to his brain.

“If you imagine that he had been asked in the first instant where he was, the result could have been totally different. “

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "We have met with the family to discuss the case and to offer our sincere sympathies.

"A full review has been conducted to look at the handling of the call and this included meeting with the staff involved to identify learning. We have now also brought in new national procedures for calls with no confirmed location.