A DOTING son has criticised Colchester General Hospital after his terminally ill mother was discharged after a fall only to have to return three hours later.

Ingrid Wilson, 83, who is suffering from terminal cancer of the pancreas, bowel and lung, was found by a carer after falling out of bed and was complaining of severe back pain.

After more than five hours waiting for an ambulance she was transferred to the accident and emergency department at 1am on Sunday, July 17.

She was discharged at 9am on the same day, but when she returned to her home in St John’s, Colchester, a carer said she was far too ill to be there.

Mrs Wilson is now at D’arcy ward at the hospital and her family are discussing an end of life plan.

Son David said: “After 45 minutes of waiting at accident and emergency I went through and no-one could tell me where she was.

“The pain was all down her back. Two years ago she had to spend 12 weeks in hospital because she had three fractured vertebrae and nobody knew if she was in pain because of that or whether it was the cancer.

“I found her and she said the only tests they had done was to take blood.

“She was then sent home a few hours later with no further action and without any discharge papers which you are meant to have with you.

“Within three hours the carer said to her, me and my wife she needs to be back in a hospital or go into a hospice.

“The paramedics phoned ahead and spoke to the ward sister because she was refusing to go back to accident and emergency.”

Mr Wilson said his mother is now in on D’arcy ward. He described the staff as absolutely brilliant but said she should never have been allowed to go home.

He said: “I do not understand how anybody can be treated like that and made to feel how she felt.

“Somebody has to be held accountable for what happened.”

Mr Wilson and his family have lodged an official complaint with the hospital’s Patient Advice and Liaison Service and were told yesterday it was being looked into.

A spokesman for Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust said: “We’re very sorry about the issue described and sincerely apologise to Ingrid Wilson and her son David.

“Our complaints team has been investigating the matter and a member of our Patient Advice and Liaison Service team has spoken with Mr Wilson today to apologise and assure him that his complaint is being investigated fully.”