A 55 stone man is blocking four beds at King's Mill Hospital because there is no social space for him

A 55-stone man who is blocking four beds at King's Mill Hospital cannot be discharged because there is a lack of social space for him, it has been claimed.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Matthew Crawford, 33, from Newark is said to be taking up a four-bed bay at the hospital despite being medically fit to be discharged, according to Mirror Online.

Crawford, who has been convicted of assaulting nurses is said to be medically fit to discharge and has been at the hospital for five months.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

An NHS source told The Mirror: ­“Everybody is sick to the back teeth with the situation and it’s about time it was exposed.

King's Mill HospitalKing's Mill Hospital
King's Mill Hospital

“There’s nothing medically wrong with Matt now but we’re powerless to get rid of him.

They added: “There’s space for four people who need to be on the ward being taken up by one bloke who doesn’t.”

Sherwood Forest Hospitals’ Deputy Chief Nurse, Phil Bolton, said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases, but whenever we have patients in our care with complex needs, it can sometimes take longer than we would like to ensure we can safely transfer patients to a place more appropriate for their needs.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“In cases where multiple conversations have to take place with different agencies across a number of geographical areas, it is more likely that delays can occur. We continue to work with agencies and the community to identify the most suitable place of care for our patients as quickly as possible, but we appreciate how frustrating this can be for our patients, our staff and our partners.”

Earlier this year, Crawford was convicted of assaulting four nurses at a care home near Newark.

He was ordered to pay his victims compensation. His solicitor Michael Little said Crawford was too heavy to attend the hearing. He moved to King’s Mill Hospital in May, but a lack of appropriate obesity beds nationwide means he is still on the ward.

His mum Linda Belshaw said he was waiting to move to a care home which was waiting for his equipment to be installed.

Related topics: