Family's fury over Stafford Hospital discharge

The family of a seriously ill Staffordshire man have claimed his life was put at risk after he was sent home from Stafford Hospital too early without being treated for a potentially deadly disease.

They have also revealed a catalogue of poor care and have condemned the hospital for what they claim was the negligent treatment of 32-year-old Richard Foster.

The hospital has accepted there were "deficiencies" in his care and have offered his family an unreserved apology.

He was re-admitted as an emergency at Queen Elizabeth hospital in Birmingham where doctors told his family he should never have been discharged from Stafford and warned them he could die. His mother, Linda Foster, spoke to the Express & Star on behalf of her son, who is still too ill to speak.

She said her son, who works as a firefighter, was rushed to A&E at Stafford Hospital in July suffering with acute pancreatitis, which can prove fatal.

He was left writhing in agony and vomiting on the floor of the A&E department and was only admitted after his girlfriend, who is a nurse at another hospital, complained four times that he needed to be seen urgently. Mrs Foster said: "She seriously thought he was going to die, he was that ill."

She said her son was not given any pain relief for 24 hours and suffered discomfort when a catheter bag went unemptied.

They have also complained over the attitude of staff, faulty machinery and a failure by doctors to diagnose Mr Foster with fluid on the lungs. Mrs Foster said: "When they discharged him, he could barely walk or stand up. He was so poorly.

The next day we took him to Queen Elizabeth rather than go to Stafford and the two hospitals were leagues apart. They told us he should never have been discharged."

Mr Foster was given antibiotics and is still recovering at home in Rugeley. The family have now said they will seek legal action.

Antony Sumara, chief executive of Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said: "I offer our unreserved apologies to Mr Foster and his family for the deficiencies in treatment. We were aware of the family's poor experience and they have already met with some of our senior nursing staff.

"We are conducting a thorough investigation into these events and will provide the family with the results as soon as possible. We expect care in our hospitals to be of the highest standard and will hold to account anyone who fails to provide it."