THE wife of a dementia sufferer has accused Southend Hospital of bullying patients out of hospital in a bid to solve a bed crisis.

Diane Simson, 71, has labelled the hospital's discharging system a "shambles" and said it is in need of a major overhaul.

Her husband Kenneth Simson, 78, was admitted more than three weeks ago after suffering a series of health problems over Christmas.

He recovered enough to be discharged from hospital and his family made preparations to move his specialist bed from his home in Long Road, Canvey, to nearby care home Longview.

Mrs Simson, 71, said the hospital refused to wait two days for his room to become available, and pushed for him to be admitted to another care home on the island.

She said: “Kenneth became unwell at Christmas and developed cellulitis and fluid around his heart and he became delirious. He was given antibiotics and has recovered and I cant fault the doctors and nurses, but the hospital was desperate to get people out and they were bullying people to go into homes people weren’t happy with.

“We had a place lined up at Longview care home but the room was being painted and his bed moved in but they wouldn’t wait two days. They said there was a place elsewhere, but it was like comparing Buckingham Palace with Battersea Dogs Home.

“We did agree in the end for Kenneth to go there for the two days but they refused saying it would have to be for six weeks so we said no because we would have lost the bed at Longview and there is a long waiting list to go there.

"The outcome is that a bed was blocked needlessly. No one seems to know what anyone else is doing. It’s a shambles. They just want to get everyone out as soon as they can.”

Mrs Simson said the hospital even suggested sending her husband to a care home miles away from Canvey, which had failed its Care Quality Commission inspection.

She said: “I am in tears most of the time. This is someone I love and have been married to for 53 years. When I was visiting Kenneth at hospital I heard a woman in her eighties who was ill herself being pressured into sending her sick husband into a home she didn’t want to because they wouldn’t wait a few days while she adapted a room so she could take him home.

“There should be discussions about where a person might be discharged to right from the time they are admitted, not leave it to the time they go and shove people out anywhere. The system is not working. They’ve got to do something about the NHS because they’ve got a better system in India at the moment.”

Hospital says every effort is made to discharge patients safely

THE chief executive of Southend Hospital said staff work closely with social workers to ensure plans are in place for patients.

Sue Hardy said the plans are designed to prevent patients overstaying, but insists they are only discharged when deemed medically fit.

She said: “The team always involves the patient and family in any on-going care plans. We recognise that this can be a difficult time for relatives and family and try to support them wherever possible.

“However once a patient is well enough to be discharged, any delay in that prevents us from attending in a timely manner other patients who may be awaiting admission from our emergency department.”