Hospital ordeal of war hero, 94, moved 13 times in final 10 weeks of life
A ROYAL Navy veteran aged 94 was moved 13 times in ten weeks after being admitted to hospital.
Reg Thompson’s family have made an official complaint about the care he received just before his death, when he was shuffled between five hospitals, sometimes for just a matter of hours.
Mr Thompson, who served during the Second World War, was first admitted to Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) on December 21 after he fell at home. But he was constantly moved before his death on March 2, travelling for a total of 158 miles. Mr Thompson, from Oadby in Leicestershire, never married or had children but was close to his nephew Brian Winterton and nieces Jill Insley and Christine Clapham.
Mrs Clapham, 60, said: ‘All we wanted was him to be comfortable, clean, pain free. In the same bed, in one place, so he could die in peace.’ Mr Winterton, 63, added: ‘If you suggested this as a storyline in a soap it wouldn’t get through, it’s just so unbelievable.’ Mr Thompson was first admitted to LRI with a chest infection. Mrs Insley, 50, said: ‘ He didn’t want to be there but we kept telling him he was in the right place. We couldn’t have been more wrong.’
On December 27, Mr Thompson was moved to a rehabilitation ward at the Leicester General Hospital and, after starting to improve, was sent home on January 8.
But his family say no care had been arranged and they only found out he was home when they called to check.
Three days later, Mr Thompson was taken back to LRI before being moved to Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough (twice) and Kettering. Including switches between wards,
‘We wanted him to die in peace’
Mr Thompson was moved a total of 13 times before his death at Kettering General Hospital, 30 miles from his home. Mr Winterton said: ‘I tried to get [there] but I would never have made it.’
The family have complained to University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. Dr Sally Ruane, chairman of the Leicester Mercury Patients’ Panel, said: ‘We trust that lessons will be learned.’ She said some of the decisions to move him were ‘either ill- conceived or inadequately managed’.
Moira Durbridge, director of safety and risk at Leicester’s Hospitals, said: ‘[The case] is very complex and involves many areas in our organisation, as well as two others.’