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health1d ago
Patient near death after leaving NHS hospital where Costa Coffee used as ward
Mirror.co.uk and 1 more
- Overcrowding at William Harvey Hospital in Ashford forced a Costa Coffee outlet to be repurposed as a temporary ward, reflecting system strain in Kent's NHS.
- Nick Sheppard, 75, reportedly spent more than a day on a trolley in a packed A&E corridor before disappearing from the ward.
- After around 44 hours away from the hospital, Nick was found in a ditch suffering hypothermia and dehydration, highlighting the risks of corridor care.
- Janet Pott, Nick’s partner, called the ordeal the worst 44 hours of her life and questioned whether proper beds could have prevented it.
- The East Kent Hospitals Trust said the incident is under review and offered apologies to Nick and his family.
- CCTV later showed Nick leaving the hospital via a back gate at 10:06pm, a detail that connected the initial disappearance to his escape from wards.
- Nick spent 19 days in intensive care before being moved to a ward, facing kidney failure and a bowel bleed requiring transfusions.
- The incident has become a case study in NHS trolley waits and bed shortages in Kent, underscoring systemic pressures.
- Janet voiced distrust in the NHS, stating that overcrowding and corridor care eroded faith in the system for her and others.
- Nick’s initial treatment for concussion and head injuries occurred after a fall, with subsequent movement to a corridor bed amid crisis conditions.
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