A man suffering a severe heart attack was turned away from a Surbiton doctors' surgery and told to make an appointment for later in the day.

Mike Goldstone, 60, was doubled up in pain clinging to the receptionists' desk of Claremont Medical Centre when he was told to either make an appointment or go to hospital.

He then staggered out of the surgery and drove to see a client, who realised he was sick and called an ambulance on Monday, October 25.

Speaking from his hospital bed, he told the Sun newspaper: "I thought I was going to die. She threw me out on the street and left me to fend for myself in the middle of a heart attack."

The Glenbuck Road surgery has said its staff are fully aware of the requirement to provide reasonable treatment to anyone at risk, and said it had not failed in this case.

Mr Goldstone, from Newhaven in Sussex, started having chest, shoulder and back pain on his way to an appointment, and went to the first surgery he saw.

No doctors were available and he was advised to go to hospital, but not knowing where it was he soldiered on to his appointment.

Client Urda Shah took one look at him and called an ambulance. He was still recovering in hospital as the Comet went to press.

Dr Phil Moore, GP and chairman of the professional executive committee of Kingston Primary Care Trust, said: "We will be working with Claremont Medical Centre to ensure any appropriate lessons are learned."