A gran who broke her hip while on holiday was left stranded hundreds of miles away for more than two weeks because there were no beds available at her local hospital.
And to compound the problem, Ellen Boorman was limited as to when she could travel back home because she has to receive dialysis treatment for a long-term illness three times a week.
Ellen, 74, from Rainham, suffered her injury when she fell on a trip to the shops with husband Dick, 75, while they were away in Cornwall.
Ironically, the couple had planned the break so Ellen could get treatment at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, which was where she ended up having surgery for the fracture.
Her ordeal started just two days after they arrived in Bodmin when former beautician Ellen went on a shopping expedition.
As she suffers from mobility issues, Dick had left her to pick her up in their car.
Dick, a former health and safety officer, said: “I’d not taken a single pace and I turned round and she had lost her balance and was on the floor.”
The couple, who have been married for 49 years, had been looking forward to their holiday, which had been especially arranged so she could have her dialysis treatment while away.
Ellen suffers from Lupus, an autoimmune disease which affects the kidney function and has to attend Medway Maritime Hospital three times a week for treatment.
Hospital staff made three attempts to get her transported back by ambulance to the Kent hospital – but it had to tie in with days when she was not having her medical procedure.
And on each occasion, the eight-hour journey was postponed at the last minute because suitable wards had become fully occupied.
Dick added: “I understand beds are precious, but this did not help her recovery and took a toll on her mental health and general welfare.
“It seemed my wife was stuck in an endless cycle of bed available and bed not available.”
With their two-week break over, Dick had to vacate their Airbnb and drive back to their home in Rainham with their dog, border terrier, Rory.
Ellen finally made the 250-mile-plus trip on Thursday, July 3 and is now recovering on the ward at the Gillingham hospital.
Nick Sinclair, chief operating officer at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are sorry to hear about Mrs Boorman’s experience and hope she is now comfortable and recovering well.
“We have clear processes in place to manage inter-hospital transfers, and we work closely with partners to ensure patients receive the care they need safely and appropriately.’’
Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. It often involves diverting blood to a machine to be cleaned.
