A PATIENT with a rare lung condition has criticised the “fragmented” oxygen-at-home service after he struggled to get the vital supplies he needed when his health deteriorated.

Colin Peel, 70, from Darlington, who relies on portable canisters of oxygen, became increasingly panicky as his condition worsened.

Fearing that he would run out of oxygen he contacted BOC, the company which normally supplies oxygen canisters to his home on behalf of the NHS.

After being told that he would need a new prescription – and that would involve a medical assessment – he contacted the home oxygen service run by Air Liquide in Middlesbrough.

But they told him that assessments could only be booked in advance.

In desperation Mr Peel went to his own GP in Darlington, but his doctor told him he could not provide a specialist assessment.

“I was extremely stressed by that stage,” said Mr Peel, who rang 999 for an ambulance and was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital’s accident and emergency department.

Mr Peel was on the phone to his wife – who was trying to source extra oxygen supplies – when a respiratory nurse arrived.

But the nurse criticised him for not taking calls from the oxygen service and allegedly wasting oxygen.

“She also informed me that she was treating me for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease even though I kept telling her I had Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis”, he added.

Mr Peel said the nurse discharged him with “a totally inadequate” supply of oxygen.

Fortunately, by the time he got home BOC had delivered additional oxygen supplies.

His complaint about the nurse’s attitude led to the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust apologising, but Mr Peel is still unhappy about the home oxygen service.

He added: “This is what happens when you fragment NHS services. The service is not fit for purpose."

A spokeswoman for Air Liquide said one of their nurses tried to phone Mr Peel and left him a message and extra oxygen was deliver to his home later that same day by BOC.

“Unfortunately there are times when patients will have to go into hospital for additional medical support. In this case we were not able to provide an instant assessment,” she added.

Martin Phillips, chief officer of Darlington Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Oxygen is prescribed to patients who need it as a medical treatment in the same way as other medications are prescribed. Changes in patients’ conditions mean their medication needs have to be reassessed.

"Where oxygen is prescribed, that reassessment has to be carried out by specialists and we have in place a service pathway so that happens in a timely manner. Where patients are concerned about breathing difficulties or a serious illness, the Accident and Emergency Department provides a service.”