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A man who feared he had coronavirus hit out at the NHS after he claims he was wrongly told to go to a packed Midland hospital - against official advice.

Paul Godfrey told Good Morning Britain he started to develop flu-like symptoms after returning home from Milan, Italy, on Friday, February 21.

He alleged staff on the NHS's 111 advice line urged him to go to Walsall Manor Hospital and said he sat there for ten minutes before suited medics collected him.

Speaking to Good Morning Britain today, he said: "They told me Milan wasn't on the target list and I shouldn't be concerned but they said I should go to hospital anyway.

"So they made an appointment for me to go to the treatment centre at Walsall Manor Hospital and my appointment was for 10.30am on Monday.

"When I arrived there I was went into the reception area, registered as normal and they told me to sit down in a foyer that was full of ill people waiting to be seen.

"I sat there for about ten minutes and then I was called in to a foyer and said: 'You shouldn't be here'.

"I said: 'I'm only following guidelines from 111 who have given me clear instruction and appointment to attend this specific location'.

(Image: GMB)

"They panicked, they gave me a face mask in the foyer where everybody else was looking around in shock.

"They said: 'We haven't got a cubicle for you, we'll have to find one'.

"When they found a cubicle they said they'd have to talk to me via phone link until they could get things sorted.

"I spoke to the nurse over the phone and she came to me dressed in full hazard gear.

"She proceeded to take my temperature, my blood pressure and microbiology said that, because at the time Milan wasn't on the at-risk register, there was no need to swab me.

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"Providing my temperature wasn't 39C I should go home and carry on with my normal day."

Paul told the popular TV show he later travelled to Guildford for a meeting but still felt ill.

He claimed he received a phone call on his way back and was told to return to Walsall for a re-test.

"I got there at 4.30pm, they told me to drive into the accident and emergency area and stay by my car,” he added.

"I then had to phone a number where nurses would come out to me.

"I went to get out the car as soon as I saw the nurses but they went 'no, no you don't get out the car, you need to put a face mask on'.

"They then told me to get into this pod where they did mouth and nose swabs and then told me to get back into the car and go home."

Mr Godfrey said he received a call confirming he had flu but they were still trying to determine the strain.

He said: "The information the government is giving to say they are controlling the situation is totally wrong.

"It's not been followed down to hospitals to follow the right procedures.

"I went into an area I was told to go that was full of sick people, who are probably the most vulnerable when you have a coronavirus.

"I could have spread and infected hundreds of people potentially by not being dealt with from a point where I was concerned."

The hospital said it could not comment.