Mother and daughter stay in hospital room for 15 months
A mother and daughter have been living in a hospital room for 15 months as they wait for a new council home meaning that 100 patients have potentially missed out on a bed.
Ruth Kidane, 21, was admitted to Barnet Hospital, north London, last year and her mother Mimi Tebeje, 50, moved in shortly after.
After a few weeks, doctors declared Ruth ready to be discharged, yet she still remains at the hospital, with her mother beside her.
Their long stay at the hospital means that at least 100 patients have missed out on a bed and taxpayers have forked over more than £150,000.
The mother and daughter were forced into the extended stay because North East Lincolnshire Council has yet to find them a new home in Grimsby.
They lost their old home because another tenant moved into their council-owned flat.
Ruth is disabled and uses a mobility scooter to get around and was admitted to hospital for unknown reasons.
Barnet Council says it can’t help as the mother and daughter are registered in North East Lincolnshire.
The hospital, meanwhile, continues to pay for their living costs.
Patient Concern’s Joyce Robins told the “Sun”: ‘This case is shocking, disgraceful. Apart from the incredible cost, it is hugely unfair to others.
‘I can’t understand why the hospital would let this continue. Their job is to make people better not offer a free B&B.’
Ben Ramanauskas, of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, added: ‘People should not be using the cash-strapped NHS as a free hotel service.’
They are served two meals a day by NHS staff in the room, which has a bed, chair, TV and sink.
Ruth even reportedly attends an art and design course at a nearby college three days a week.
She is believed to get a taxi to the college. Ruth is also an active Instagram user, posting on her account ‘UK Fashion Lifestyles Beauty Disability’. On the account, she has also shared photos from the room and days out with her mother in the city.
Mimi, meanwhile, apparently gets mail delivered to their room and even has ASOS clothes sent to the front desk.
North East Lincolnshire Council said they have a ‘statutory duty’ to help homeless people.
They said that if Ruth and Mimi returned to Grimsby, they would provide them with accommodation.
Under law, hospitals and trusts are entitled to try and get patients to leave a bed.
In fact, there were 413 such orders agreed by courts in 2016.
However, Royal Free Hospital Trust, which runs Barnet, has not issued any legal proceedings against Ruth and Mimi.