A FRANTIC mother was left waiting for five hours by the new NHS out-of-hours service when her baby son developed breathing difficulties.

Beverly Hartwell-Beninson from Weymouth was left in a panic when the promised on-call doctor didn't arrive to check 14-month-old Connor's wheezing.

An investigation has already been launched into Dorset Emergency Care Service, the countywide emergency medical helpline managed by Dorset Ambulance NHS Trust, which was launched last Friday. It was immediately inundated with more than three times the anticipated number of callers.

Within hours of the service starting, Mrs Hartwell-Beninson had called her surgery, the Royal Crescent and Preston Road Practice, and an answer machine instructed her to use the new out-of-hours service.

Mrs Hartwell-Beninson, 25, of Franchise Street, Chapelhay, said: "I thought Connor was having an asthma attack. I've got asthma myself and I know what it is like to have an attack. I was panicking like mad - if it feels like my chest is on fire I can't imagine what it must feel like for a baby."

Mrs Hartwell-Beninson and her husband Paul, 34, were already at the accident and emergency department at Dorset County Hospital with their sick son when the emergency service returned their call. They had asked a friend to come to the house at 1am to look after their two older children.

Mrs Hartwell-Beninson said: "I had Connor ten weeks early and he was only 1lb 14oz when he was born. I thought children and babies are meant to be the health service's priorities."

Doctors told her that Connor had a viral infection and couldn't be treated but on Saturday night the problem had flared up once more.

"I called them again and had to wait six-and-a-half hours for a reply," said Mrs Hartwell-Beninson. "By then I had managed to settle him on my own. I also tried the NHS Direct Line a few times but got no reply.

"They say they have changed it for the better, but I won't be using them again. Next time I will be taking Connor straight to accident and emergency."