War hero floored by red tape

A 90-year-old Second World War hero was left lying on the floor after paramedics said it was against "regulations" to pick him up, it has been claimed.

Air Marshal Sir Patrick Dunn, who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in 1941 after shooting down eight German planes, tripped at his home on Wednesday

His wife, Diana, 92, dialled 999 as she was not strong enough to pick up her husband, who has had two strokes and needs a wheelchair or walking frame to move around.

But the paramedics who attended the call at their house in Cookham Dean, Berkshire, said they had to wait for special lifting gear to be brought in.

It is not our policy to leave distressed patients on the floor Ambulance trust spokesman Graham Groves

On Sunday, Lady Dunn rejected an apology from bosses at the Royal Berkshire Ambulance NHS Trust.

Lady Dunn claimed Sir Patrick spent up to two hours on a hard floor and was only lifted when his daily carer arrived.

She said: "He had been lying on the floor asking them to help him and holding up his hands, but they said they were not allowed to lift anyone from the floor.

"When the carer arrived she lifted him off the floor and one of these burly men just put his arm out to help."

Inquiry launched

"It's not much good just apologising, if the carer hadn't come I don't know what I would have done.

"The whole business has upset my husband very much."

The trust said the paramedics had called for the lifting gear after arriving then waited for 20 minutes until they were told the equipment had been diverted to another incident.

Ambulance trust spokesman Graham Groves said an inquiry had been launched into the incident.

Queen's aide

He said: "We are very sorry for any distress caused to the patient and his wife.

"It is not our policy to leave distressed patients on the floor."

Sir Patrick commanded 30 Squadron and 274 Squadron in Egypt during the war, shooting down six aircraft and sharing in the destruction of two more.

He was the Deputy Air Secretary from 1959 to 1961 and aide-de-camp to the Queen from 1953 to 1956.