A WORCESTER hospital has come under fire after an elderly woman collapsed just hours after she was sent home alone in a taxi in the middle of the night.

Shirley Griffiths was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital after collapsing at her home in Hanley Swan at about 7.30pm on Sunday, November 16.

Her husband Clive said the ambulance crew had arrived quickly after he dialled 999 and took his 81-year-old wife to hospital.

“The ambulance crew were really good, but quite frankly I thought she was on the way out,” he said.

“They took her straight to hospital where they did tests on her.

“But within a few hours the doctor sent her home in a taxi.”

Mr Griffiths said he was appalled the hospital had sent his wife on the 12-mile trip in the middle of the night on her own when he said she was clearly unwell.

“I think it’s disgusting,” he said. “How could they send a woman of her age home in a taxi on her own?

“I thought maybe the ambulance would bring her back, but she turned up back at home at 12.30am.”

Mr Griffiths said he had helped his wife into bed and went to sleep, but at 5am heard a loud bang and saw she had fallen.

“I had to call one of my neighbours for help,” he said.

“She was taken back to hospital and she’s been on the acute stroke ward ever since.

“They’ve done a brain scan and they think part of her brain just went bang.

“She doesn’t recognise anyone and she doesn’t know where she is.”

He said believed if the doctors who saw his wife on her fist visit to the hospital had examined her more thoroughly they would not have sent her home.

“They told me they’d done a few tests and sent her home, he said

“They obviously didn’t do the proper tests. They should have done more to find out what was wrong.

“I’m concerned that other people may be treated the same way.”

Jane Rutter, matron for medicine at Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs the Royal, said the organisation had begun an investigation into the incident.

“We are very sorry to hear of Mr Griffiths’ concerns regarding his wife’s care,” she said.

“We take all feedback from relatives very seriously and are currently investigating his concerns.

“We have spoken with Mr Griffiths and are meeting with him next week to further discuss his wife’s care.”