A SWANLEY grandfather was left fully-clothed in his bedside chair for 25 hours while he waited for an ambulance to take him home, his wife says.

Kenneth Berwick, 81, spent the night at Medway Maritime Hospital despite wife Doreen being told he would be discharged that afternoon.

The grandfather-of-six was admitted to Darent Valley Hospital on October 30 with a serious nose bleed before being transferred to McCulloch ward at Medway the following day.

Mr Berwick, a former sheet metal worker, spent one night there before being told he could go home at 3pm on November 1.

A rare form of pneumonia has left his lungs scarred and he requires oxygen 22 hours a day, meaning an ambulance was needed to take him home to Pinks Hill in Swanley.

News Shopper:

You could send a probe to the moon three times in the time Mr Berwick waited to be driven home. 

But his wife said it was not until 5pm on November 2 when he finally arrived back, after 25 hours allegedly spent in his chair - a claim Medway Foundation Trust denies.

Mrs Berwick, 77, said: "I called paramedics because his nose was bleeding - I say nose bleed, but you would think I had murdered somebody.

"On the Friday I must have called Medway five times before finally at about 10.30pm the staff nurse rang me and said they would be keeping my husband overnight.

"By this time he was obviously in a bit of a state about not coming home.

"When I got there the next day he was still sat in his armchair, the bed had not been made and the nurses had obviously not put him in it."

News Shopper: Elaine Kettley with mum Jill.

Jill Kettley, right, with daughter Elaine, was also kept waiting for an NSL ambulance. 

It was around 3.20pm that day when Mrs Berwick says she got a call saying an ambulance was ready and her husband could finally be brought home.

She said: "He was more or less left to fend for himself. To leave somebody like that in an armchair fully dressed overnight - to me it leaves so much to be desired it’s unbelievable."

Mr Berwick is not the first to be left waiting hours for an ambulance after being discharged since NSL Care Services took over all patient transport in Kent and Medway on July 1.

Jill Kettley, 71, endured a "nightmare" six-and-a-half wait at Darent Valley on August 14 before she was eventually returned to her home in Sidcup.

Hospital response 

A Medway Foundation Trust spokeswoman said: "The allegation that Mr Berwick was left to wait in a chair for 25 hours is incorrect.

"The trust acknowledges the period of time Mr Berwick waited for transport home is unacceptable and he and his family were kept informed of the delays.

"When transport did not arrive by 11.26pm, ward staff took the decision to call NSL and rearrange transport for the following day, ensuring Mr Berwick was not forced to make a journey late at night.

"As with all patients, everything was done by ward staff to ensure Mr Berwick was comfortable, cared for and that responsible decisions were taken about his discharge."

Contractor response

An NSL spokeswoman said: "On the evening that Mr Berwick’s transport home was booked our crews were experiencing significantly higher patient volumes than were expected.

"We are discussing this with the relevant parties and have already started to recruit 40 additional members of staff. We understand that Mr Berwick’s family were kept informed of the delays.

"We have confirmed with the hospital that Mr Berwick did not wait in a chair for 25 hours, but had been put to bed and made comfortable for the duration of his stay.

"We shall be contacting Mr Berwick directly to apologise and reassure him and his family."

What else can you do in 25 hours?

  • Send a probe to the moon three times - NASA’s New Horizons Pluto mission took just eight hours and 35 minutes to cover the 380,000 km to the earth’s satellite
  • Fly nearly halfway round the world - the record for flying the 36,770 km around the world is 57 hours 54 minutes
  • Learn to drive - you can now pass your test after a 25-hour intensive driving course