The doctor won’t see you now...

Reporter: Lucy Kenderdine
Date published: 21 February 2014


AN angry mum has blasted a Shaw medical practice as “heartless” after it turned away her sick two-year-old son when they were only five minutes late for an appointment — despite phoning ahead to warn them.

Lorna Morton arranged for a doctor to see her son, Cameron Martin, at the Village Medical Practice, when he developed a chesty cough and became ill. Just before leaving the house Cameron vomited, so Lorna called the practice to say she would be late getting there from their home in Denbydale Way, Royton.

The mum said: “It took me a while to clean him up and get him ready again. I phoned the practice to let them know we would be late and told them what had happened. But when we got there - just five minutes late - they turned us away.”

Lorna, a self-employed laser tattoo-removal specialist, said the practice wasn’t busy - only two people were waiting.

“If the practice was full of people waiting for appointments I could understand them turning me away or if it was just me being lazy which had made us late,” she said. “I have never been so shocked and upset at the heartlessness of my doctor.”

Lorna asked for another appointment at the Crompton Health Centre practice, but was told she would have to wait until the following week.

Lorna rushed to the walk-in centre in Oldham, where Cameron was diagnosed with a viral infection.

Lorna added: “I am still really angry about how we were treated. I never want to go back there and I will be looking for a new doctor after this.”

A spokesman for the practice said: “We have been in touch and apologised about the incident. We will be dealing with the matter through our internal complaints procedure.”