AN investigation has been launched after a Greenock ambulance crew dropped a dementia sufferer off in the town centre instead of taking him to his care home as instructed.

The alarm was raised with health bosses after a shop worker spotted the man — who is thought to be in his 60s — wandering around, and his family have since made an official complaint.

Ambulance driver Tommy McKechnie — currently suspended over the incident with a female colleague — claims the man seemed 'totally with it' when he gave directions on where to go.

It is understood that the name and address of the care home and an alert marked 'DEM', for dementia, flashed up on the vehicle's navigation screen when the man was collected from Inverclyde Royal Hospital on May 31.

But Mr McKechnie, 64, said: "He was chatting away.

"As we were driving to the address provided he told my colleague we were going the wrong way — I just thought the sat nav was on the blink.

"He gave us directions, he knew exactly where he was going.

"He was totally with it.

"We dropped him at the address he wanted to go to."

Mr McKechnie, who has been with the ambulance service for 17 years, fears he will now lose his job.

He said: "We didn't notice the three small letters until later and weren't told he had dementia.

"If he was being dropped at a home for the first time he should have had an escort.

"I could be out of a job for one mistake.

"I've apologised unreservedly."

Inverclyde MSP Stuart McMillan said: "There has clearly been some form of breakdown here in the correct procedures which should have been followed.

"However, I will not prejudge the investigation the Scottish Ambulance Service is holding.

"It would appear however that the patient is now safe and well and I hope he and his family are able to move forward from this after receiving a full apology."

Labour MSP Jackie Baillie said: "This is a shocking story and very distressing for the patient and their family.

"Ambulance staff are under more and more pressure but this appalling treatment of a patient is unacceptable."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "We expect the ambulance service to meet with the family to apologise directly, discuss their concerns and to conduct a full investigation which should be used to make improvements and ensure that an incident like this never occurs again."

A spokesman from the Scottish Ambulance Service said: "We have launched a full investigation into this matter and have contacted the patient’s family – we will be following this up by offering a formal apology and seeking a face-to-face meeting to discuss details of the case."