Family had no choice but to put vulnerable man with dementia in private care over Christmas

What happened

Mr Q was discharged from A&E on Christmas Day to a mental health unit run by another Trust. This unit was inappropriate for him and his family took him out and put him in a private care home.

Mr Q became more ill, but his GP did not visit him at the private care home. The care home registered Mr Q with another GP, who immediately visited him. Mr Q went back into the first Trust's hospital that day with pneumonia. Mr Q had spent eight days in the care home. He was in hospital for another six days before he died.

What we found

Mr Q's discharge from A&E was unsafe. The first Trust should not have sent him to the second Trust's mental health unit because it was an unsafe environment for him.

His GP should have visited him at the private care home. There was also evidence of inadequate record keeping by GPs at the Practice.

Putting it right

Both Trusts reimbursed Mrs Q for the cost of private care (half the amount each). They also each paid her £350 to recognise the injustice they had caused her. The GP Practice paid her £150.

Both Trusts and the Practice drew up action plans that showed the lessons they had learnt from Mrs Q's complaint.