Women, 89, moved between hospitals at 1am (From Witney Gazette)

Women, 89, moved between hospitals at 1am

9:00am Wednesday 26th April 2006 in Witney By Maddy Biddulph

A BUSINESSMAN has questioned why his 89-year-old mother, from Woodstock, was moved from one Oxford hospital to another in the middle of the night.

Lesley Seligman was taken to the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, on April 2, after hurting her leg during a fall at her home in Woodstock House, Woodstock.

It was decided that the pensioner needed surgery for a skin graft, so she was moved to the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford but not until 1am in the morning.

Her son, Paul, has questioned why his mother was transferred at night, and said it was the second time she had been let down by the NHS in less than seven months.

In July last year, paramedics took more than six hours to transport Mrs Seligman on a seven-mile journey to hospital, after she had a stroke.

At the time, Oxfordshire Ambulance Trust apologised to Mrs Seligman, blaming the delay on a high volume of more urgent calls.

"The health service has a duty of care to my mother, and I can't help but think they have breached this."

Paul Seligman

Mr Seligman, who lives in London, said: "I feel my mother has been badly let down by the system.

"The first time taking six-and-a-half hours to get her to hospital was gross-negligence.

"This time, I fear it's a case of gross-indifference. Moving an elderly woman in the middle of the night is just not acceptable.

"The NHS should be a patient-focused organisation, not one run for the convenience of its employees."

Mr Seligman added: "My view is, unless there is a medical emergency, they shouldn't move someone, let alone an elderly and confused person.

"The health service has a duty of care to my mother, and I can't help but think they have breached this."

Mrs Seligman was discharged from hospital on April 15.

An Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust spokesman said new guidelines for staff about when to transfer patients were being drawn up.

He said: "Mrs Seligman was admitted to the clinical decision unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital, which is a busy assessment area.

"We like to transfer patients to an appropriate ward as soon as possible, so they receive the best care possible.

"We apologise to Mrs Seligman for the distress caused by transferring her late at night, and we are looking in more detail at what happened in her case."