Dad spent two of the last days of his life alone and distressed in A&E – for no good reason. This insanity must stop (3 April 2024)

Summary

In this opinion piece for The Guardian, Adrian Chiles describes how his father was unnecessarily transferred from a community hospital to an A&E department by a locum GP. This caused his father—who was largely alone, confused and without his hearing aids—great distress, and should have been avoided, as healthcare professionals said the transfer had been unnecessary. Adrian describes his father's rapid deterioration following the incident and his regret that some of his father's last days were spent—avoidably—in distress. He says, "The process, the system, the protocols, the whatever, take hold and the wrong thing happens even though everyone can see it’s wrong but is powerless to put a stop to it."