Woman 'left dying in agony'

Mrs Hogg received morphine seven hours later

A dying woman was left in agony after an out-of-hours doctor service refused to visit her because of a financial dispute.

Norah Hogg, 75, was left for more then seven hours without painkillers during her final hours suffering from liver and bone cancer.

Healthcall - the out-of-hours service for GPs - refused to send a doctor as its contract with Mrs Hogg's own surgery had been suspended due to a "financial matter".

Mrs Hogg, from Eccles, Greater Manchester, died 15 minutes after her own doctor was traced and administered a painkiller.

We would like to pass on our sincere condolences to the family. It must have been an awful situation

Healthcall spokesman

An investigation is under way into the circumstances surrounding the great-grandmother's death.

Her family have called for an inquest to be held.

Mrs Hogg had been discharged from Salford's Hope Hospital in early April to spend her final days with her family.

Two district nurses were called to the home of her daughter, Stella Murcott, at 0530 BST on 7 April and said Mrs Hogg needed to have a morphine injection administered by a doctor.

Another district nurse arrived just before 0900 BST but the family say she had not been given any instructions regarding the urgent need for medication.

Mrs Murcott said: "The district nurse phoned the emergency number and explained the distress that my mother was in.

"She then told us that after speaking to a receptionist at Healthcall, a doctor could not attend as the contract with Springfield House, my mother's surgery, had been stopped that week."

Full investigation

After several phone calls, Mrs Hogg's own GP, Dr John Purser, was contacted and got to the house at about 1300 BST.

Mrs Murcott said: "We are grateful that even though he was off duty he came to help."

A spokesman for Healthcall said: "We can confirm that at the time the surgery's contract with us was suspended due to a financial matter which is why a doctor was not sent out.

"The north regional director of Healthcall is carrying out a full investigation.

"Healthcall did decide to take action because of the seriousness of the situation but by then the lady's own GP was on the case.

"We would like to pass on our sincere condolences to the family. It must have been an awful situation."

Healthcall, which recently merged with Medical Duty Services, provides out of hours cover for 35% of surgeries in the UK.