"Poor care given to father who then died"

My father was admitted to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow late last year with a UTI made worse by limited mobility due to needing a hip replacement. A&E were great and put him straight on IV antibiotics and he was then moved to the cardiac ward as this was the only place that had a bed.

Care in the cardiac ward was great. He was then moved to the respiratory ward due to COVID outbreaks in the hospital but 1 half of the ward contained COVID patients and the other half was for patients with other breathing issues.

My father had neither heart issues or breathing issues. He then contracted COVID which progressed into COVID pneumonia. He was then moved to the elderly care Winter Ward. This was a terrible ward where only the basic care was provided to elderly patients. It felt that this was the ward patients were moved to and left to die.

As his health deteriorated, we were prepared for the worst but he started to improve. I discussed discharge with the hospital staff and said that it was already deemed he could not return home during to mobility issues before he went into hospital. I stated that he had the right to choose a nursing home and that there was one in particular we didn't want due to a previous bad experience.

A few days later I received a phone call to say he had arrived at that nursing home without any warning and neither they, my dad or I had been told about the move.

I phoned the discharge team who were adamant he hadn't been moved and was still in the hospital but I told them straight that they were wrong. I spoke to the ward and at first they tried telling me he was still on the ward and then apologised saying he had been discharged.

Whilst driving to the nursing home I received a phone call from BOC to arrange delivery of oxygen cannisters but when I arrived at the nursing home they told me that the hospital notes said this wasn't required and they couldn't keep him if he needed this level of care.

A week later my father died in the nursing home. I believe his discharge was premature and a proper care plan was not put in place. I blame Princess Alexandra Hospital and the senior staff on the Winter Ward for his death. I have since read their inspection reports which detail failings when caring for elderly patients.