An obese man who takes up a four-bed hospital bay cannot be discharged because there is no care home for him to go to, according to reports.
Matthew Crawford, 33, along with all the equipment required to move him, is said to take up enough room for four beds at King’s Mill Hospital in Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, England, where he has been staying at for five months.
NHS staff claim the 55 stone man is medically fit to discharge but that there is no acceptable social care space so he cannot leave, forcing hospital staff to turn away other patients.
An NHS source told The Mirror: ’Everybody is sick to the back teeth with the situation and it’s about time it was exposed. ‘There’s nothing medically wrong with Matt now but we’re powerless to get rid of him.’
They added: ‘There’s space for four people who need to be on the ward being taken up by one bloke who doesn’t.’
Crawford should be moved somewhere more appropriate to create room in the hospital, the source said. It is thought his case has cost the tax payer tens of thousands of pounds.
He was moved to King’s Mill Hospital in May but was sent a discharge letter several months ago, it is claimed.
His mother Linda Belshaw claimed a deal is being arranged for him to leave, insisting that a care home is just waiting for equipment to be installed before Crawford moves in.