Hospital obtains court order to evict man who refused to leave

A hospital in Norfolk has been forced to obtain a court order to evict a man who had been unnecessarily occupying a bed for more than two years.

Anna Hills, Director of Governance at James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth, said every effort had been made to try to remedy the situation.

“He repeatedly refused all offers of appropriate accommodation organised by our local authority and social care partners, despite being fit for discharge,” she said.

“As a last resort, the Trust had to apply to the court to allow us to remove the gentleman from the hospital. The decision to go to court was not taken lightly but our priority has to be considering the needs of all our patients and ensuring that our limited resources, which are under increasing pressure, are available to those who genuinely need hospital care.”

Hills added that the hospital had worked with its partners in this case to ensure the man continued to receive the appropriate level of care and support in the community, having left hospital.