Pensioner stuck in 400 day hospital 'limbo' due to care worker shortage

A shortage of care workers in Moray has left a retired widow unable to leave hospital for 400 days.

Anne Williamson says she’s been left in limbo, staring at the walls in frustration, desperate to return home.

She says many other patients in the region have suffered a similar plight.

Anne, 71, suffered a sudden stroke just after Christmas 2022, that changed her life.

She told STV News: “I couldn’t move. I had been up and I went to the back door and I went to the front door and the dog was on the sofa. That’s his bed. And I sat down beside him and I couldn’t move off there.”

After almost seven decades of good health, Anne – a widow for ten years – was suddenly dependent on nursing staff.

They have cared for her round the clock, latterly at the Turner Memorial Hospital in Keith.

Anne praised staff but believes the hospital has ultimately become a nursing home, as patients can wait months for a care package enabling them to leave.

Anne's sons have been helping her day-to-day — Anne’s sons have been helping her day-to-day STV News

Having clocked up a 400-day stay, Anne has been there the longest.

She said: “We check the emails every morning to see if my name has come up. The last time we spoke with the social worker, he said my name was at the top – but it doesn’t seem to have made any difference.”

A spokesperson for Health and Social Care Moray said: “We understand the frustration of the Williamson family.

“When someone is ready to leave hospital, we want to see them return home, or to another homely setting, with the right support in place for them.

“On a daily basis, we review all individuals who are delayed in hospital and work hard with the individual and their family to find the appropriate support package.”

Anne was thrilled to get a council home a year ago but barely seen it because of her need for carers.

Regular physio treatment has helped her mobility but she has a long way to go. Her two sons often help out.

Her son Chris Williamson said: “We can’t praise the staff at the hospital or the private physios in Elgin enough.

“But I sometimes think there are a lot of emails being sent but not a lot of action and I think it’s the people behind the emails that really need to be more aware of what’s going on.”