A family have released the shocking transcript of a dying man's 999 call which ended with staff hanging up and then failing to find him.

Ronald Russell was only discovered by a neighbour 17 hours later but it was too late to save the vulnerable 49-year-old.

The full transcript of his call makes clear Ronald, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, had collapsed and was loudly moaning.

But the operator keeps asking Ronald for his phone number - even though it was automatically displayed - and even checks three times that he wanted an ambulance.

His family have released the transcript as part of their bid to pressure the authorities into changing emergency call procedures.

Ronald Russell (left, and right) was only found thanks to a neighbour 17 hours later but it was too late to save him

They want the first question to be for information on the caller's address, rather than the number.

The transcript suggests Mr Russell would have been able to provide his address in the first seconds of his call but could not remember his phone number.

Speaking today Mr Russell's sister Margo Cassidy, 52, said: 'It was really devastating to read that, especially because I think most people imagine that when you phone an ambulance the first thing they will ask is, 'Where are you?'

'We knew he had phoned an ambulance because we had his mobile.

'When we met with the Scottish Ambulance Service the first time they told us that it had just been marked up as a silent call, but we got the transcript and when we found out that he was initially able to speak that made me really angry.

Mr Russell's family have released a transcript of the 999 call at 5.45pm on July 4, 2017

'He died because of the lack of oxygen to his brain.

'If you imagine that he had been asked in the first instant where he was, the result could have been totally different. '

Mr Russell, who lived alone and had mental health issues, dialled 999 at 5.45pm on July 4, 2017 and had requested to for the ambulance service.

The call handler asked: 'What's the telephone number you're calling from please?'

Mr Russell replied: 'Can you hold on until I get that?' The call handler says 'Sorry?' and he continues: 'I've got this, I've I've got this, got it written down.'

Mr Russell's sister Margo Cassidy said reading the transcript was 'really devastating'

The call handler keeps on asking for the telephone number even though they already have it.

At one point Mr Russell's response is recorded as: 'Ooooooh ohhh (incomprehensible sound from caller).

Despite that the handler asks: 'Hello do you require an ambulance?'

During the three-minute call, the handler says 'Hello?' five times without getting an answer.

There is what is described as 'movement heard in the background' and then 'loud background noise'.

Despite that the transcript makes clear the handler 'ended the call'.

Three calls were made in an attempt to get Ronald back on the phone but there was no follow up by a supervisor to make an attempt at finding the address.

The Scottish Ambulance Service's own incident report admits there could have been more attempts made to get Ronald's address.

Tragically, Mr Russell lay for 17 hours until a concerned neighbour overheard his alarm clock, became concerned, and called an ambulance. He had suffered a stroke and died later in hospital.

The SAS report states: 'It is evident on listening to the call that the call handler can hear noises and moaning.

'The correct process was followed by providing three calls back, however, due to the call handler knowing that the caller was on the line before it disconnects, there could have been more attempts to confirm the address - or for this to be highlighted to a supervisor.

'The supervisor stopped the call, whilst the notes were in the call advising that the call handler can hear noise in the background.'

The Scottish Ambulance Service said: 'We have met with the family to discuss the case and to offer our sincere sympathies.

'A full review has been conducted to look at the handling of the call and this included meeting with the staff involved to identify learning. We have now also brought in new national procedures for calls with no confirmed location.

'Asking for a telephone number at the start of a call is vital as it enables our dispatchers to quickly ring back if a connection is interrupted.

'However, under the new procedures, call handlers will attempt to return a call three times; if this fails it is passed to a supervisor who will carry out further location searches using mobile phone triangulation and by contacting Police Scotland for assistance.'