A PENSIONER who is having to travel more than 100 miles each-way just to visit her elderly husband with dementia says his ordeal has "ruined" her family's lives.
Brian Clapham, 74, of Clacton, is currently receiving much-needed care for vascular dementia at St Magnus Hospital, in West Sussex, having initially been treated at Colchester Hospital.
He has been living at the complex since June 2022, but his wife Fenella Clapham says she was recently told by his care team he would soon be moved back to a home in Essex.
However, any hope of Brian being reunited with his family anytime soon is now said to have been squashed.
According to Fenella, her husband's social workers instead want to move him into a care home in West Sussex, after a conversation with doctors at St Magnus Hospital.
She said: “We just want Brian to be near a home in Essex, so we can visit him more frequently, all he has is myself, the family, and the grandchildren - he misses them.
“We are gutted, we were told his next move would be to come back to Essex.”
Fenella, who also claims her fears Brian had dementia were ignored, is also unhappy about the level of care Brian has received from Colchester Hospital since 2020.
The couple first visited the facility in December 2020 after Brian returned from a holiday with what they believed was a chest infection. X-rays, however, revealed he was actually suffering from bowel cancer.
After a speedy operation in January 2021 the couple were told he would need 24 hours of bedrest to recover but, according to Fenella, he was moved from his bed after just seven hours.
Then, in February 2021, it was discovered Brian was bleeding internally.
Following another procedure, Fenella claims he was then subsequently moved to three different wards over a six week period due to contracting a post-surgery infection.
After eventually being discharged back to his home in Clacton Brian was then sent back into Colchester Hospital following an incident, where he remained until June 2022.
After numerous tests, Fenella's initial concerns were proved true when Brian was diagnosed with vascular dementia.
It was at this point the hospital suggested he be moved to St Magnus Hospital - a lengthy journey from Clacton which is starting to take its toll on Brian's family when they go to visit.
“We have been married for 53 years and we’ve never been apart, and now it has been two and a half years," said Fenella.
“I just don’t want anyone else to go through anything like this, it hasn’t just ruined his life, it has ruined our lives as well.”
Dr Angela Tillett is the chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Colchester Hospital.
She said: “We are very sorry to hear the concerns raised about Mr Clapham’s care.
“We encourage Mr and Mrs Clapham to again contact our dedicated patient advice and liaison service (PALS) team if they would like to talk through any remaining concerns and we will do our utmost to address these.
"The PALS team is here to help anyone who has feedback about their experiences in our hospitals.”
A spokesman for Essex County Council, meanwhile, said: “ We do not comment on individual cases.
"However we will always consult with the individual, family members and other health and care professionals involved in a person’s care when making decisions around the most suitable care options.”
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