A young footballer in the Scottish Highlands was left lying in agony for more than an hour and a half after breaking two bones in his leg during a match. Dean Fraser, 25, suffered a double fracture of his tibia and fibula while playing for Bonar Bridge FC against Fort William FC at Migdail Playing Field. The incident occurred just minutes into the second half of his second game for the club.
Despite an immediate 999 call, no ambulance arrived for over 90 minutes. The crew that eventually attended was based in Lairg but had been delayed by another call in Dornoch, 13 miles away. Fraser, a self-employed joiner from Lairg, described lying on the soaking wet pitch in severe pain and freezing cold. 'A call was made straight away for an ambulance and I never got one for over an hour and 30 minutes,' he said.
When paramedics finally arrived, Fraser praised their care but noted the lack of resources. He was taken to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, but upon arrival, he faced another two-hour wait in the back of the ambulance due to a lack of available beds. A scan confirmed both bones were snapped, and the following day he underwent surgery to insert a titanium rod from his ankle to his knee.
Liberal Democrat councillor Michael Baird, who witnessed the incident and made the initial 999 call, has written to Health Minister Maree Todd to criticise the response. He described the wait as 'ridiculous' and argued that centralisation of the ambulance service has worsened response times in rural areas. He noted that multiple 999 calls were made, each requiring lengthy questioning, and that he received callbacks from a Glasgow depot that could not provide updates.
The incident comes as ambulance staff prepare to strike later this month over claims of being overworked due to a lack of resources. Fraser's ordeal highlights ongoing concerns about emergency service provision in remote parts of Scotland.
