A woman with several health issues, who was set to spend her last few days of life at home with her family had her return delayed by three days – and then died four hours after she finally got home.
Janet Skidmore, an ex-curator in the prints and drawings department at the V&A museum, was admitted to hospital in March with a low blood count and needed transfusions and a host of tests, to which her health then began to deteriorate.
According to Janet’s daughter Alice, doctors at Kings College Hospital came to a mutual agreement to stop treating Janet and let “nature take its course”.
Janet’s daughters Alice and Judy had been liaising with Bromley’s Clinical Commissioning Group and the palliative care team at the hospital to organise “fast-track funding” to allow Janet to spend her last few days at her home in Bromley with her family.
Alice told the News Shopper that her mum was set to return home on June 6, with funding covering the costs of transportation from the hospital to home and a care package as she needed carers four times a day.
Although Janet’s address was in the borough of Bromley, Bromley’s Clinical Commissioning group passed the care arrangements over to a neighbouring Clinical Commissioning Group – South West London – as Janet’s GP was registered in the Croydon borough.
Alice said: “My mum was meant to return home to my dad, Alan, who she has been married to for 53 years.
“We were expecting her to return home on the same day, and she was ready to leave in her wheelchair along with her bags packed.
“But then, the hospital rang my sister Judy and told us that Bromley’s (south east London) CCG revoked the funding, as although she was a Bromley resident, her GP was registered in Croydon.
“The hospital was shocked and pleaded with Bromley’s CCG solely to get my mum home, after that, Croydon’s Clinical Commissioning Group could have taken over, but Bromley refused.
“By the time mum got home, she was sleeping and didn’t regain any consciousness.”
A spokesperson from Bromley’s Clinical Commissioning group said: “every effort is always made to meet the wishes of individuals who are nearing the end of their life”.
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Alice claims that an entirely new application had to be completed and sent to Croydon’s Clinical Commissioning Group before Janet could return home.
She added: “After the application was completed, my mum returned home on June 9, which was three days later than the original plan.
“She died within four hours of her being home.
“We all feel devasted about losing mum – her last few days with us would have been a different experience if she came home on the Monday.”
A spokesperson for Croydon’s Clinical Commissioning Group (south west London) has said they are “very sorry, that despite the very best efforts of everyone involved, Mrs Skidmore was not able to spend her last few days at home.”
Alice, her sister, and the entire family were unable to prepare for Janet’s death, as Alice claims any choice or control over the situation was taken away from them.
Alice explained: “My mums dignity was taken away from her - when you die of old age, it's not how you imagined it to be like the films.
“Eventually, when she did get home, there wasn't this idea of us all being there for each other and experiencing it together, it was just a complete shock.
“She arrived at our doorstep unable to talk, open our eyes or hold our hands.
“Even the day before she returned home, she was able to smile at my sister and understand jokes.
“But when she returned home, she was gone.
“I’m just so devasted, upset and angry about the entire situation.”
Spokespeople for South East Clinical Commissioning Group and South West Clinical Commissioning Group said: “We are very sorry, that despite the very best efforts of everyone involved, Mrs Skidmore was not able to spend her last few days at home with her family and extend our sincere condolences for their loss.”
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