Probe after grandfather is discharged at 3.30am
8:56am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in Local
HOSPITAL bosses have launched an investigation to discover why a grandfather was discharged at 3.30am and left to wander the streets.
Senior staff at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, which runs the Royal Bolton Hospital, confirmed they had met to discuss the events that led to 64-year-old Michael Atkinson being found in sub-zero temperatures an hour later by police.
They said a “full review” was taking place.
The grandfather, who suffered a stroke in 2005 and had been taking morphine which made him confused, had gone in to hospital for a brain scan following a suspected second stroke. An ambulance was supposed to collect him from his home in Breightmet, between 3.30pm and 7.30pm on Tuesday March 5, but he was not collected until 11.40pm.
He was discharged at 3.30am, and was discovered freezing and apparently wearing a hospital wristband that was intended for another a patient — a two-year-old girl. Mr Atkinson’s wife, Helen, said her husband was distraught after the incident. She wants answers and is threatening to sue.
Hospital bosses said nurses had tried to order a taxi for Mr Atkinson but had been unable to contact his family.
They said hospital patients were free to leave at any time unless they were given a “deprivation of liberty” order, which is made when patients are considered to be an imminent danger to themselves and not mentally fit to make their own decisions.
A trust spokesman said a “safeguarding strategy meeting” had been held last Wednesday, attended by relevant senior staff.
The hospital will now write to Mr Atkinson’s family with the results of the investigation.
The spokesman said: “The nurse in charge asked Mr Atkinson how he would get home and offered to book a taxi for him from reception.
“She asked him to wait in reception once the transport was booked but he left the department. Every effort was made to alert Mr Atkinson’s family that he had left the hospital.”
The incident took place just days after a 90-year-old man, who was reported missing from the hospital at 10am on March 2, was discovered in Bristol, 175 miles away, and a 76-year-old male patient walked more than a mile from the hospital in his pyjamas and dressing gown before he was stopped and taken in by a hairdresser.
Comments(10)
FedUp!
says...
8:54pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Ktulu1
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9:07pm Wed 20 Mar 13
FedUp! wrote:You are absolutely right, he should never have gone to hospital alone. A question which has been posed to the people he lives with. Had I have known about his admission at the time, it may have been a different outcome.
As you will know just because a person makes an unwise decision does not mean they lack capacity...I don't understand, if you were that concerned about his capacity / confusion, why someone didn't go to hospital with him? Especially seeing as it was that late at night if it was for a scan? Did you genuinely believe he would get a routine scan at midnight? & how did you think he was going to get home after this routine scan or did you think they would put him up for the night? Why didn't you tell the ambulance to come back the day after? You question the need for a DOLS but then suggest he can recall the incident?? Interesting
I don't believe I have suggested he recalls the incident. He makes reference to various parts of the evening and I'm not convinced he hasn't wandered out of the hospital in his confused state but the fact he was a suspected stroke patient (impairment of the brain or mind) which was clearly impacted by the influence of morphine (contributing to his confused state and decision making), I think DOLS should have been considered at least until a time when he had regained capacity to make a decision (even if that was unwise). To allow him to leave in that state was a disgrace (as was him being allowed to go alone in the first place, but I guess family do not have the same duty of care)
Ktulu1
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9:24pm Wed 20 Mar 13
g/cajoling/being aware of their patients whereabouts to ensure he was safe (even if they were to send him home)...
boltonnut
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9:35pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Ktulu1
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9:43pm Wed 20 Mar 13
boltonnut wrote:Thanks boltonut. I would be satisfied with an apology, and explanation to my dad and assurance that nobody else need go through such an experience
Klulu1,you appear to be the only one with any modicum of sense in this debacle,no slight on your father.You obviously care about him.I hope you get satisfaction and compensation from RBH,your father deserves it.
FedUp!
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10:15pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Ktulu1
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10:36pm Wed 20 Mar 13
FedUp! wrote:Yikes, so many questions and not sure if its anybody's business, however, it was an independent professional who suspected a stroke due to traits in his presentation. We thought the presentation was effects of morphine (which indeed, turned out to be the case) hense no emergency services were deemed necessary. I cannot comment on the tests he was admitted for as I'm not a clinician but can confirm he's had a catalogue of examinations and tests in a subsequent safe admission into hospital. The GP responsibility as that of the of the timeliness of the ambulance I am hoping will be investigated as part of the safeguarding. Some of the questions you raise are ones I also raised and again quantify a full safeguarding investigation of a vulnerable adult. I think I answered your query about family responsibility in my last comments
Ktulu1, thank you for your reply. My initial response to this and to previous coverage of this issue was shock but then I am also really concerned at why everyone seems to blame the hospital and no-one asks were the family responsibility lies? There are many questions, if it was a suspected stroke why not a 999 ambulance or direct admission, why only attendance for a scan? What is the GP's responsibility? Why did it take so long for the ambulance? Why didn't the family take him if that concerned and why did he go alone if it was suspected stroke made worse by morphine? All too often the easiest option is to point the figure at the nurses! I am so fed up with people saying sue them, get compensation when in this scenario of course the family have a responsibility!!! One of the main reasons the NHS is in such a sorry state is because we have become too quick to seek financial gain, I note you have said you would be happy with an apology but too many jump on the litigation band wagon. For the record I don't work at RBH!
As a public sector worker, I agree that family have responsibility in caring, however I would never neglect my duty of care to people in need of services even if provided when my personal values conflict with my professional. I still believe the hospital in this case neglected their duty of care
I agree many are quick to jump on the financial gain when mistakes are made in any public sector all of which is an impact on an already strained public purse. But as you rightly point out, this is not my intention so don't see why it's relevant
FedUp!
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10:48pm Wed 20 Mar 13
Ktulu1
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11:00pm Wed 20 Mar 13
FedUp! wrote:Thanks. I hope the bolton news will follow up the story on the safeguarding investigation outcome and perhaps focus on who are deemed to be vulnerable adults under the no secrets guidance, what classes as abuse, (an act of omission in this case) what can be done about it and who to go to as that would be a more helpful story to report on for others who are unfortunate enough to be in a similar position. I'm just glad I had my professional knowledge as reporting this as an allegation (not a complaint) came with its challenges. But I guess that's another story and perhaps one not worthy enough to be reported!
Sorry, I wasn't aiming the questions at you personally and I wasn't expecting you to answer them so thank you for that; I was more thinking out loud! I hope a thorough investigation is done and I hope you get the answers you are looking for
Ktulu1 says...
6:26pm Wed 20 Mar 13
A deprivation of liberty order is used to restrict this human right to keep patients safe if they lack the mental capacity to make a decision. To test mental capacity the prrson needs to understand information given to them
retain that information long enough to be able to make a decision
weigh up the information available and understand the consequences of the decision AND communicate their decision. Could it not be possible that my father, admitted due to a possible stroke under the influence of morphine who couldn't remember his own phone number when asked be appropriate for such an order to keep him safe?
Whilst the nurse in charge has released their statement, my fathers statement in relation to this investigation is very much different. I await with interest for the outcome of the investigation and wonder if the bolton news would be as keen to report on this as well as reporting on the appropriate channels to go through which could help others who may be as unfortunate to experience anything similar.