Una McMillian, who suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, said she has frequently been left with dangerously low reserves. On one occasion, she was informed on a Friday afternoon that her scheduled delivery would not arrive on time, leaving her with only 90 minutes of oxygen to last the weekend.
“It’s very frightening, I get quite uptight,” she said. “I was panicky and worried about how I was going to cope because I didn’t have oxygen. While sitting, I was ok, but as soon as I moved, my oxygen levels dropped.”
Her husband Tom, who is also her carer and chairs Pulmonary Fibrosis NI, said delays were becoming increasingly common. “About every third delivery we have a non-delivery, and sometimes we’ve had to wait up to five days for supplies,” he said.
One such delay forced the cancellation of a long-awaited family gathering with Mrs McMillan’s grandson, visiting from Manchester after 18 months apart. “It was a big deal for us all, but it had to be cancelled,” she said.
The British Oxygen Company (BOC), contracted by the Department of Health (DoH) to provide oxygen across Northern Ireland, said patient safety was its “top priority.” The DoH added that the contract “works well for the majority of patients,” and that officials were in contact with BOC following complaints.
Mr McMillan has raised the matter with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt and called for urgent action. “Without oxygen, patients are starving their hearts and brains. This isn’t just about quality of life, it’s about survival.”