Dementia gran trapped on bus ‘could have died’

THE family of a grandmother with Alzheimer’s said yesterday she could “easily have died” after she was left on a locked charity minibus for hours.

Frail Beryl Harris, 87, was overlooked at the end of a day trip when the vehicle was driven back to a centre and parked up for the weekend.

The alarm was not raised until carers could not get into her flat that evening and contacted relatives.

It later emerged Beryl had been left on the bus from 3.45pm to 7.30pm – yet the driver responsible, who works for Age UK, has been allowed to keep their job despite a complaint.

Granddaughter Gemma Cunningham, 34, said: “If Nan hadn’t had family to check-up on her, she would not have been found until the Monday. An old person wouldn’t have lasted more than a day. She’d have been dead.”

The bungle happened when the driver forgot to drop Beryl off at her home on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, by 4pm after an outing.

Instead, the bus was taken back to the Age UK centre in Leysdown-onSea and left there unattended – with Beryl still aboard.

When carers could not get any answer at her flat at 7pm, they contacted Gemma, who went down to look for herself.

At first she thought her dementia sufferer grandmother had “gone walkabout” but inquiries soon revealed that she was still on the bus. Gemma criticised charity staff who she claimed tried to make light of the blunder.

She said: “They were laughing and joking saying Nan probably had a kip.

“I said to them, ‘It’s not a laughing and joking matter.’ If I had left the kids in the car, I’d have had social services on my back.”

Beryl’s daughter Tina, 52, added: “I was just numb. I couldn’t believe it.”

Her family have now lodged a complaint with Age UK.

They said they were not happy with her attending the centre and she was moved to another branch, where provision for her has since stopped.

Alan Doucy, chairman of Age UK Sheppey, said: “We are truly sorry for this incident and have apologised to our client and their family.

“Following the incident we took immediate steps to investigate how this occurred, as well as implementing our formal disciplinary procedure with the member of staff concerned.”

The bungle happened in July but details of it have only just emerged.

It was reported at the time to Kent County Council, which said: “A safeguarding inquiry has been launched. This investigation is ongoing.”

Age UK, which was formed in 2009, gives tips on its own website about how to help people with dementia.