CARMARTHENSHIRE MAN Peter Rees, now aged 65, is suing the NHS for “failing in their duty of care” after being forced to walk 23 miles home from A&E at 2am.
On New Year’s Eve 2012 the father-of-three, who works in the film and advertising industry, was at home with his partner Annie in the isolated village of Llanwrda, near Llandeilo, when he was suddenly hit by an uncontrollable coughing fit and a severe shortness of breath. After being examined by a paramedic at his home, he was then taken by ambulance to the 391-bed Glangwili General Hospital in Carmarthen.
After doctors performed an x-ray and blood test examination, Mr Rees was diagnosed with a chest infection and prescribed some strong antibiotics. He was then informed at 2am that he was discharged and able to go home.
However, Mr Rees had left his wallet at home before being rushed off in the ambulance, so had no money with him. He was also 23 miles from home and was unable to be picked up as his partner could not drive, to which he claims the nurse on duty insisted that he should walk.
He stated: “When I said I couldn’t believe what was happening, I was accused of being aggressive by the nurse. I was very tired, but I didn’t raise my voice or swear, but they said I had to leave. There were ambulancemen there who saw my predicament but said they were not allowed to drive patients home.”
Mr Rees claims he was forced to start his long walk home. After 10 miles of hiking through pitch-black country lanes in sub-zero temperatures, he was noticed by a passing police car who urged him not to walk any further on his own as it was dangerous.
He said: “I was literally clinging on to bramble bushes as I edged along the hedgerow in the face of oncoming traffic.”
After walking a further 2 miles, he was passed by another police car who took him the further 11 miles back to his house. Mr Rees arrived home at 6:30am, four-and-a-half hours after being discharged from the hospital.
Mr Rees made an official complaint immediately after the incident and has sued Glangwili Hospital for £100,000 for “failing in their duty of care”. His partner Annie contacted health chiefs to discover the name of the nurse who sent him home, but he stated that she was refused any details and was told the nurse is currently not working.
He stated: “It was dreadful – the most horrible night of my life. I had dark clothing on, I was feeling most unwell and I had to walk on unlit roads on one of the most dangerous nights of the year. I was shattered, freezing, I felt giddy and I lost my footing more than once.”
Following the incident, Mr Rees stated that he spent a week in bed recovering from his chest infection which was not helped by his long and wintery walk home in the early hours.
“Even if I had money, I would not have been able to get a taxi at that time on New Year’s Eve. I would have been happy to sleep in a chair until daybreak when I could have arranged a lift home. But, I was virtually shown the door – the attitude of the nursing sister is something I will never forget. It was heartless and no way to treat a man of my age who had just been diagnosed with a serious chest infection,” Mr Rees continued.
Mr Rees claims that following his complaint, the Hywel Dda Health Board wanted his case struck off as they believed that it was “a load of nonsense” and wouldn’t hold up in court. However, he stated that the judge disagreed and the case went forward. From Telford, Mr Rees’ case was then transferred to Swansea then once again transferred to Carmarthen.
Caroline Oakley, Director of Nursing, Quality and Patient Experience at Hywel Dda Health Board, said: “We have formally responded to Mr Rees’ concerns relating to transport on New Year’s Day 2013, reiterating that ambulance transport cannot be provided for patients who do not require emergency transport, unless they meet all eligibility criteria.”
Ms Oakley added: “Patients who do not meet the criteria for ambulance transport are welcome to wait in the department until transport is available or a taxi can be arranged by staff.”
“At no point would any patient be expected to walk home from a healthcare unit and whilst the University Health Board cannot be held responsible for the decisions taken by patients once they have been discharged from a unit, patients would be encouraged to wait within the department for appropriate transport to be available,” she concluded.
Mr Rees’ plight was heard globally, with news of his hospital hardship hitting headlines in countries such as France and Malta and even as far as Nigeria.
Another spokesperson for Hywel Dda Health Board added: “We’d like to reassure the public that there are a range of innovative transport schemes currently in place for patients who require assistance with non-emergency transportation. Improving access to transport is a key priority.”
The case will be up for trial in Carmarthen County Court on March 17.
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