On the radio I heard of the case of an elderly gentleman who was delivered to his doorstep by the police. When his wife answered the door, she described her husband as being cold, blue, and shivery. The man was confused, and didn’t even know who he was. But he was there having been discharged in the middle of the night by the hospital he was staying in without escort or consideration for his wellbeing.
It’s a terrifying story – I’d be very angry if this happened to one of my relatives. Sources from The Times confirm that 300,000 people in the last two years have been discharged from hospital between the hours of 11pm and 6am, with many of them described as being elderly. Patients were allegedly being woken up in the middle of the night to be discharged to relieve pressure on wards.
A dangerously early discharge can be detrimental to a patient’s health. In the worst case scenarios, it can of course be fatal. It astounds me that this can happen, and I would like to think that these cases are rare and in the minority. When I was in hospital a couple of years ago, I ended up in an extra night because the occupational therapists were waiting on some equipment I could take home with me. They actually kept me in another night and refused me going home. I was pretty annoyed to be fair, but at least they seemed to be taking the opposing stance that it was better to be safe than sorry when it comes to premature discharge.
There are supposed to be strict procedures in place to ensure that a patient is genuinely ready to leave, and when it comes to the elderly and vulnerable, you’d think that one of the first considerations is whether they will be safe in travelling home.
Legal Rights for Premature Discharge
If you, or someone you know, has suffered further due to being discharged early or dangerously, there may be a right to bring a claim for personal injury compensation. You would need to prove that the discharge was too early or was dangerous, and there would have to be some form of additional suffering caused as a result of the discharge.
If you feel the above is the case, call our free claims helpline on 0800 634 75 75 to talk to one of our medical negligence legal advisors. We’re a specialist firm of personal injury solicitors with particular expertise in representing victims for clinical negligence. Our advice is free, confidential, and is of course on a no obligation basis.