Shropshire hospital managers today dismissed health watchdog claims that patients are being discharged during the night.The claims were made at a meeting of the county council’s health overview and scrutiny pane, following the case of an 84-year-old Shropshire woman who was discharged from Hereford County Hospital at 3am in her nightdress and had to pay £80 for a taxi to take her 25 miles home.
But a spokesman for the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust said it would be “very unusual” for an inpatient to be discharged overnight from the Royal Shrewsbury or Princess Royal.
Councillor Viv Parry said she had heard of an elderly person being discharged from the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust during the night.
Councillor David Beechey said he had also been told of someone being discharged from Telford’s Princess Royal at 2am. Their medication had to be collected for them later.
“This situation is not acceptable,” he said.
Councillor Roger Evans proposed, and it was agreed by panel members on Monday, that the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust be asked for its policy regarding discharges between 10pm and 8am.
A trust spokesman said today:”Our discharge policy sets out the arrangements we have in place to support inpatients and day case patients when they are discharged from hospital.
“It aims to ensure that clear and appropriate discharge arrangements are in place, and that these are discussed with the patient and their carers.
“It would be very unusual for an inpatient to be discharged from hospital overnight.
“There will be exceptions such as when a patient decides that they wish to leave, as we cannot detain patients without their consent.”
4 Comments
The question is not about inpatients, but about someone treated as an emergency patient (fall, cut, etc.,) and being left to get home themselves in the middle of the night.
As in the case of the lady concerned.
She was discharged from the Hereford County Hospital so I fail to see why Shrewsbury and Telford NHS trust have had to defend themselves????
I agree with Blue Eyes, This was out of our area, and one would hope that this would never occur in Shropshire, otherwise heads would roll I am sure.
If the hospitals stop discharging patients in the night then you will have to find beds for approx 150 a&e patients with relatively minor ailments. Im sorry but for people to attend hospital its usually a once in a blue moon occurance, then having to get in a taxi late at night is also an unusual occurance. What would you tell the relative of a patient unable to breath and desperately needing a bed for further treatment, sorry, its early in the morning and we cant send anyone home ?? Its not an ideal situation but think about it !!!