Answers wanted after man discharged from hospital without care package dies at home

Samuel Joseph Brookes, of Highley Park Homes, in Netherton, near Highley, Bridgnorth, was found dead on April 22 when a relative took round a supply of frozen meals that a carer would have cooked for him.

Mr Brookes, a widower, had been discharged back home from Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley, on April 8 this year. Dudley-born, he had been in hospital after a fall and a ‘long lie’ at home. His death was caused by a combination of heart disease and pneumonia contributed to by liver disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Described as being ‘in and out of hospital’, previously he had been visited four times a day by carers from a company called Outcome Care and Support to help him live an independent life.

An inquest report is being prepared for Shropshire senior coroner John Ellery, who called a pre-inquest review on Thursday to bring representatives of the hospital and the care company together to get to the nub of the issues.

The hospital was represented by a solicitor and two directors of the care company were also at a hearing at Shropshire Coroner’s Court. Family members were also present.

Mr Ellery said that after Mr Brookes had been discharged home “nobody came to provide the care until his discovery two weeks later”.

“There are concerns about how it happened. I need to understand the arrangements and whether it was a system failure or a personal failure.

“How could an elderly gentleman be discharged home without the care provided?” he asked.

Mr Ellery heard from the care company and the hospital who are in dispute about what happened.

The care company said it was “waiting for the hospital discharged team to contact them” when Mr Brookes was ready to be discharged. They alleged that the hospital ‘failed to communicate’.

Mr Ellery was told that the care company now chases up issues to make sure similar issues do not happen again.A representative from the hospital said the “criticism is not accepted.”

Mr Ellery said it boiled down to a “factual dispute” between the two sides that he wants to resolve by all the paperwork being disclosed to him.

The coroner said he would review any documents when provided and hold the resumed full inquest at a date to be decided.

He gave both sides until October 17, which would have been the day after Mr Brookes’ 85th birthday, to come up with the paperwork.

He estimates that the full inquest will take place over one day, on a date to be confirmed.