Jessie, 35, was admitted to Northampton General Hospital in April 2023.
A woman who had been residing in a hospital bed for a year and a half has been arrested and removed from the NHS hospital where she was living.
The anonymous patient, known only as Jessie, had spent 550 days in Northampton General Hospital because locating an appropriate place for her to go proved challenging. She was admitted on April 14, 2023, needing treatment for cellulitis, a bacterial infection affecting the skin and underlying tissues.
The 35-year-old wheelchair user, who was medically cleared to leave, was ready for discharge from the hospital by the end of April, but was informed that she couldn't return to the nursing home where she had lived for nine years because it could no longer meet her needs, according to the Mirror.
This resulted in Jessie, who is unable to work and relies on benefits, becoming increasingly isolated, confined to her hospital cubicle on the six-bedded ward. She expressed that her extended stay at the hospital had negatively impacted her mental health, as she only had curtains for privacy, and all her possessions were stored in boxes around her bed.
In a video diary recorded from her hospital bed, she conveyed feeling "very angry, upset and worthless". The BBC reported in August 2026, 16 months after her arrival, that the hospital initiated legal proceedings against Jessie to reclaim the bed she was occupying.
The NHS trust eventually pursued High Court action against Jessie to have her evicted from the hospital bed, which occurred in October. She was arrested and relocated to a new care home, where she reports feeling anxious. Jessie's story is a clear illustration of the strain on the care system and its consequential effects on the NHS.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said in a statement shared with The Mirror: "This is a troubling case which shows how our broken NHS discharge system is failing vulnerable people. Our 10 Year Health Plan, backed by a £26 billion boost for the NHS and social care, will shift the focus of care from hospital to community and tackle delayed discharges by improving the links between the NHS and social care."
According to the BBC, police are investigating Jessie for several alleged incidents, including sending offensive emails shortly before her eviction from the hospital. Since moving to her new care home, Jessie says she has self-harmed, and the police have been called on three occasions, once by her and twice by staff.
The Mirror has contacted Northampton General Hospital and North Northamptonshire Council for comment.
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| all her belongings were around jessie's hospital bed |
via. dailyrecord
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