[Ammi]

A 23-MONTH-OLD girl died in a GP’s waiting room after she had to wait 70 minutes to get medical attention, her mother has claimed.

Lucie Linforth passed out after her lips turned blue but admin staff allegedly refused to interrupt a doctor so she could be helped.

Dad Eric, 33, had rushed his daughter to the practice after she had feverish coughs during the night.

Her mother Angie Collins has claimed he repeatedly pleaded with receptionists to get a doctor to examine Lucie but he was told to wait his turn.

She sais that the father eventually threatened to ring an ambulance and a doctor finally emerged but Lucie’s heart stopped beating and she died shortly afterwards.

Devastated my Angie, 40, has said she wants justice for her tragic girl.

She said: “This should never happen again to any other family. I will never get over this.

“I want to get Lucie’s story out there and try to stop it happening again.

“She was so full of life and I feel really angry that there was an hour and ten minutes where nothing was done

“I feel they took away her lifeline. All I can do now is carry on fighting, I need justice for my little girl.

“I will keep saying this, she was a healthy, vibrant, lively character full of fight, and her life was just chucked away that morning.”

Eric told how he arrived at a surgery in Bedfordshire at 8.45am — before it had even opened and pleaded with reception staff to get his daughter medical attention.

But he claims he was repeatedly told to wait despite begging for a doctor to see his little girl as she struggled to breathe.

He said the receptionist didn’t even look at the sick child in his arms as he was told to stay in the queue.

By the time Lucie was taken into the “minor illness examination room” at 10.10am, her heart had stopped beating.

Doctors spent 45 minutes trying to resuscitate her and she was rushed to Bedford Hospital where an emergency team kept working in vain to save her life.

An inquest into the death was opened and adjourned on Friday, but the results of a post-mortem have so far proven inconclusive. The couple claim the wasted time could have saved their daughter’s life.

Police are investigating the events surrounding the death and are preparing a report for the coroner.

Doctor Fiona Sim, medical director for NHS Bedfordshire and Luton, said: “This is a tragic death of a little girl and our thoughts and condolences are with the family.

“The family must be going through terrible turmoil at this devastating time.”