Hospital Discharge and Subsequent Death of 91-Year-Old Man
A 91-year-old man, David Edward Roberts from Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, died shortly after being discharged from Glan Clwyd Hospital, where he had been kept for two nights without a bed, according to his family.
David attended Glan Clwyd Hospital on 30 January following a referral from his GP, who identified "very concerning" blood test results and indicated the need for "urgent hospital admission."
His family reported that during his stay, David spent two nights in a wheelchair and reclining chair in the Accident & Emergency (A&E) department. They were later informed that he could be discharged to his home, where he lived alone, without any support, monitoring, or follow-up care arranged.
A spokesperson for the health board stated that they take "concerns of this nature very seriously" and assured that a full investigation would be conducted.
Medical Condition and Hospital Experience
David's family described him as "extremely vulnerable," noting his medical conditions included type two diabetes, severe kidney disease, significant hearing impairment, incontinence, and poor eyesight.
Upon arrival at the hospital in Bodelwyddan at 20:15 GMT, the family was informed of a 16-hour wait to see a doctor. They reported that David was triaged at 21:15, had blood samples taken at 00:15, and was finally seen by a doctor at 10:15 the following morning.
In a letter of complaint submitted by his daughter and son-in-law, Karen and Mike Gadsby, the family stated that David remained in the waiting area without access to a bed.
"We requested somewhere more suitable for him to wait and were offered a vacant doctor's room, which, although private, was still highly unsuitable for a frail, elderly man in his condition," they said.
The family further explained that the doctor who examined David insisted he needed to remain in hospital. However, due to the unavailability of beds, he was kept in a wheelchair near the toilets.
"Due to his incontinence, we had to remain near toilet facilities, with no dignity or privacy," the family added.
David was administered antibiotics and underwent additional blood tests before doctors agreed he should stay overnight. Because no beds were available, the family found a reclining chair to make him more comfortable.
Discharge and Lack of Support
At 08:00 on Sunday, 1 February, the family was informed that David could be discharged. They stated that before discharge, they explicitly told the doctor that no one could stay with David at home, as they lived an hour away.
"Describing ourselves as pensioners ourselves, we explained we would need to leave him in order to return to our own home to take our medication," the family said.
Despite this, they allege David was discharged without any additional support, monitoring, or follow-up arrangements.
The following day, the couple returned to take David to a pre-arranged foot clinic appointment but found him unresponsive in bed, with his eyes closed, foaming at the mouth, and breathing faintly.
They immediately called emergency services and were instructed to perform CPR until paramedics arrived. David was taken to hospital on Monday lunchtime but died at 18:00 on Tuesday evening.
Family Concerns and Investigation Request
In their letter, the family expressed their belief that the duty of care provided to David was "wholly inadequate," considering his age, frailty, and complex medical conditions.
"We are deeply distressed that he was discharged without appropriate safeguards despite our explicit statement that he would be alone," they said.
The family has requested a full investigation into the care and decision-making related to David's treatment and discharge, having filed an official complaint with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board.
They reported that a post-mortem examination revealed David died of a heart problem but stated they had yet to receive communication from the health board.
Health Board Response and Context
Chris Lynes, deputy executive director of nursing and midwifery at the health board, offered condolences to the family and commented:
"Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on the specific details of an individual patient's care. However, we take concerns of this nature very seriously and will ensure the issues raised are fully investigated.
We will be contacting the family directly to discuss their concerns further."
This complaint follows reports from patients at Glan Clwyd's A&E department who witnessed an elderly woman dying alone in the corridor the previous week.
