A local woman has criticised the protocols of the Westdoc out of hours GP service.
Arlene contacted the service on Christmas Eve, describing pain in her chest and down her left arm
She was initially given a potential diagnosis of a pulled muscle and told to rest.
After attending the emergency department in Ballinasloe Hospital and receiving tests, it was discovered she was experiencing a mild heart attack.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show, Arlene says Westdoc's protocols need to change so others don't go through the same experience.
"I rang the Westdoc out of hours service describing pain in my chest and down my left arm. All in all there was 4 calls made between myself and the Westdoc service and the advice I was given was to rest it up for a couple of days, that it's probably a pulled muscle. If someone rings an out of hours doctors service saying they've got pains in their chest and down their left arm it should be protocol to send them straight to hospital. I just want the protocols changed. This shouldn't happen to anyone else".
