In Thomas v. Corso, 265 Md. 84, 288 A.2d 379 (1972), the on-call physician was contacted by the hospital emergency room's registered nurse. He advised the nurse to admit the patient and outlined the treatment to be administered. That hospital employed no residents or interns, but instead relied on private physicians using an "on-call" roster. The "on-call" physician was therefore the only doctor available. The patient in Thomas died after admission. The on-call doctor, who lived only ten minutes away, waited three hours to come in, and then only when notified that the patient was dying. The Court of Appeals noted that the patient had been accepted by the doctor as his patient. 265 Md. at 102, 288 A.2d at 390.