A man was found in critical condition after he went missing from an NHS hospital that was facing severe overcrowding issues, leading to a Costa Coffee outlet being transformed into a temporary ward.
The distressing incident occurred at William Harvey Hospital in Kent, where 75-year-old Nick Sheppard disappeared after spending over a day on a crowded trolley in the A&E corridor. He was later discovered in a nearby wooded area, suffering from hypothermia and severe dehydration. His partner, Janet Pott, expressed deep disappointment in the NHS system, describing the experience as a breaking point.
Janet recounted the anxiety she felt during the 44 hours when Nick went missing on the same day the hospital had to repurpose the Costa Coffee shop due to bed shortages. Nick had collapsed at a Co-op supermarket in Dover, sustaining a head injury and subsequently being placed on a trolley in a corridor for medical attention.
After falling asleep briefly, Janet awoke to find Nick missing. It was later revealed that he had wandered out through a rear gate due to confusion from his head injury. A search was initiated by the police, causing Janet intense guilt and worry.
Nick was eventually located 44 hours later in the woods behind the hospital, struggling in a ditch. He spent a significant period in intensive care and on a ward, battling kidney failure, internal bleeding, and extreme weight loss, with no recollection of the events.
Expressing frustration, Janet questioned the hospital’s handling of Nick’s head injury and subsequent care, emphasizing the negative impact of overcrowding and inadequate monitoring. The East Kent Hospitals Trust has issued an apology and initiated a review following the incident. NHS data highlighted a record high of 12-hour trolley waits in 2025 in Kent, exceeding 28,000 cases.
