The woes of telephone medicine continue. Any and all complaints should be sent to see a physician, or else this happens:

A daughter told last night how her dad died after pleading with NHS Direct for 20 minutes to see a doctor.

Owen John Jones called the helpline complaining of severe mouth pains and sweating.

But his daughter Rhian Whitehead said the operator failed to spot the heart attack symptoms and instead insisted the 59-year-old dad-of-four see an emergency dentist.

She said her father, from Cemaes, Anglesey, spent around 20 minutes telling the nurse he did not want a dentist but needed a doctor.

The operator eventually agreed a doctor would call back. But within minutes the granddad-of-six collapsed in the bathroom.

Telephone medicine = easy lawsuit.