A PENSIONER lay on her bedroom floor for more than four hours before she was taken to hospital.

An investigation is under way following the OAP's ordeal at her home in Glasgow's South Side.

The 66-year-old, who has epilepsy, was found by her home help on her morning visit.

She called her bosses at Cordia but was ordered not to lift the woman and to dial 999.

However the emergency services passed her to NHS 24. She was then transferred to a nurse, who then passed her to another call-handler, who told her to call the woman's GP.

The doctor did not class the call-out as an emergency so he asked for an ambulance to arrive in a one- to three-hour time slot. However he later upgraded the call to a blue-light response.

It was 2.26pm before paramedics arrived, almost three hours after the home help raised the alarm. They found the woman lying in her own faeces.

The pensioner, who suffered a stroke last year and has no family, was taken to Glasgow's Southern General, where she is receiving treatment. Her condition was not known.

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said the case would be reviewed with Cordia.

The home help stayed with the pensioner for two hours, until her friend Susan Shah, also 66, arrived. Susan, from Scotstoun, said: "I never thought I would see the day I witnessed that. It's despicable. She has no family, I'm all she's got. The home help did her best.

"The paramedics were great when they arrived, they cleaned her up and gave her a sip of water. She hadn't had anything to eat or drink in that time.

"I know there are issues and people turn up at A&E with a sore finger but this isn't right.

"These people are doing their best with the little they have got."

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: "A call was received at 11.34am and after clinical triage was referred to NHS 24 as it did not require an emergency ambulance team at that time. A further call was received at 12.11pm from a GP requesting a non-emergency ambulance response to the patient within three hours.

"This was upgraded to a request for a more immediate response by the GP at 2.10pm and the ambulance was sent quickly, arriving on-scene at 2.26pm.

"We will review the circumstances of the call with all agencies involved."

A Cordia spokesman said: "Our home carer stayed with the client for two hours and ensured Mrs Khan was not alone before she left for her next client.

"Prior to leaving she had contacted the ambulance service and NHS 24, in addition to calling a friend of Mrs Khan. A neighbour sat with the woman until her friend arrived. We are satisfied our home care employee followed procedure throughout the incident."