Kenneth France, aged 76, from Kingsley, who has dementia and cannot walk unaided after two minor strokes, is confined to his armchair.

He fell at about 11.30am on Friday and his wife and carer, Annie, was unable to pick him up.

She dialled 999 to ask help from an ambulance crew but, after telling the operator that he had not broken any bones and was not bleeding, she was told by a triage nurse he was not a priority case.

Mrs France called again about two hours later as her husband was in pain from lying in one position so long. The 999 operator again told her an ambulance would not be sent.

Mrs France said: "I tried to get him up myself but I hurt my knee on my first attempt so needed some help.

"It was difficult to see him in pain and I was upset to see him lying there for so long but there was nothing they could do."

Mr France was not badly hurt but Northampton North MP Sally Keeble, who spent a day with the couple as part of Carers' Week, is looking into the complaint on behalf of Mr and Mrs France.

She said: "I found what they were telling me, that this fall didn't warrant an ambulance, quite scandalous.

"For someone to have to lie on the floor unaided for that length of time does not seem right at all."

A spokeswoman for East Midlands Ambulance Service said: "We received the 999 call at 11.28 on Friday, June 12, 2009, and the caller reported a man had slipped from his chair.

"Using the information given to us by the caller, it was determined that the man did not have a life threatening or serious injury or illness and did not need a blue light emergency response.

"Whilst we recognise the distress he experienced, he was in a familiar environment and was being monitored by his wife. We dispatched an ambulance crew to visit the man at home and he did not require treatment or transport to hospital.

"All 999 calls are categorised and we always make responding to life-threatening emergencies our first priority."