Under pressure police in Moray were called to wait for an ambulance with a pensioner after no medics were available.
A woman in her 60s broke both her wrists while walking her dogs in a park in the Pinegrove area of Elgin.
An ambulance was immediately called for the injured woman but when it became apparent medics were not immediately available police were asked to go to her aid – despite no crime being committed
Paramedics eventually arrived after officers waited with the woman for nearly half an hour.
Yesterday Highlands and Islands MSP Douglas Ross warned that police resources were already stretched and should not be relied upon for incidents when there is no crime.
He said: “I find it unacceptable that the police were the first to respond despite the ambulance being called initially when it’s clear no crime has been committed.
“At a time when our police resources are stretched in Moray somebody needs to get a grip of this situation.
“This is another example of the lack of ambulance resources in the region and it is beginning to be a worrying trend.”
Ambulance staff across the north and north-east of Scotland have already cast a vote of no confidence in management.
Union Unite is due to begin talks with bosses to discuss a lack of resources in rural areas.
Last night both the police and ambulance service declined to comment on whether it was standard practice for officers to be called to wait for medics with injured members of the public.
An ambulance service spokesman said: “We received a call at 7.21am on Sunday to attend an incident at an address in Elgin.
“Every call is prioritised according to the clinical need of the patient to ensure the most appropriate resource is sent. The ambulance arrived at 7.54am.
“One family patient, in her 60s, was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital.”
A police spokeswoman said: “Police were called to assist a member of the public who had become injured in the Pinegrove area of Elgin on Sunday.
“Police were called at about 7.30am and officers were dispatched to the location. The injured woman was taken to Dr Gray’s Hospital by ambulance.”
