Missing patient found 175 miles away

11:50am Monday 4th March 2013 in News

HOSPITAL bosses have launched an investigation after a 90-year-old patient with Alzheimer’s went missing — and was found almost 175 miles away in Bristol.

Police launched a search for Jonathan Hastilow-Sands, of Newgate Drive, Little Hulton, after staff from Royal Bolton Hospital reported him missing just after 10am on Saturday.

As the day went on and there were no sightings of Mr Hastilow-Sands, Greater Manchester Police widened its search, launching a public appeal for information and calling in Bolton Mountain Rescue Team.

But just before 9pm on Saturday officers, were contacted by the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, whose officers said they had located him at Bristol Royal Infirmary.

Mystery still surrounds how the pensioner — who had been an inpatient for “several days” at the Royal Bolton — ended up almost 175 miles away.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said Mr Hastilow-Sands had injured himself at a bus station in Bath and was taken to hospital 12 miles away in Bristol for treatment.

The spokesman said: “He’d fallen at Dorchester Street bus station and was taken to Bristol Royal Infirmary, which is where it was discovered that he was a missing person.”

The spokesman added that arrangements were being made to return him to Bolton.

Mr Hastilow-Sands’ neighbours described him as an “independent” man who “kept himself to himself”.

Thomas Bailey, aged 27, said: “I’ve known him since he moved here about 13 years ago.

“I don’t think he’s got any family here, I think they’re in Germany.

“He likes to go out everywhere and takes taxis into Bolton.”

Leah Chester, aged 26, added: “He’s quite quiet, I’ve never seen him with family.

“He was in the war and lived in Germany for a bit I think but came back here about 60 years ago.

“He always says hello all the time and will post Christmas cards.

“He likes photography and likes to go out. He won’t just go shopping around here — he’ll go into Bury or Bolton.”

A spokesman for the Royal Bolton Hospital said: “We will be investigating the incident.”

Comments(16)

Rememberscarborough says...
9:17am Mon 4 Mar 13

The news for Bolton hospital seems to be getting worse and worse. I suppose the only thing they can be grateful for is that this gentleman doesn't appear to have come to any serious harm but this appears to be down to sheer luck rather than anything else.

Report this post »

boltonchap says...
10:57am Mon 4 Mar 13

Well it seems this hospital not only loses £3.8 million but also patients. FFS sort the place out.

Report this post »

Sue H20 says...
11:24am Mon 4 Mar 13

It just goes to show just how little our so called nursing staff do, I'm disgusted with the RB staff and the staff on duty should be named and shamed!
Both my Mother and Sister both sadly no longer with us would be embarrassed to have been assosiated with these people as in their days this would NOT have happened

Report this post »

Sick of paying of paying for the idle who DONT want to work! says...
12:58pm Mon 4 Mar 13

It is a hospital not a prison! patients are not handcuffed to their beds or ward doors locked. The nurses at RBH work dammed hard and if any "so called" people thinks they can do better go do it!

Report this post »

Rememberscarborough says...
1:08pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Having spent some weeks at Bolton hospital (where I contracted MRSA..) I know that the nursing staff are human and that there are both good and bad. Please stop trying to portray them as some sort of saints because they aren't and, I suspect, the really good ones wouldn't like to be thought of as such.

Report this post »

Scabz87 says...
3:17pm Mon 4 Mar 13

Sue H20 wrote:
It just goes to show just how little our so called nursing staff do, I'm disgusted with the RB staff and the staff on duty should be named and shamed!
Both my Mother and Sister both sadly no longer with us would be embarrassed to have been assosiated with these people as in their days this would NOT have happened
The staffing levels at RBH have been so dangerously low in recent months and with a growing number of patients each nurse has to handle, as well as the hefty paper work that ones with the job..... Don't always blame the staff! They can't have eyes in the back of their heads!!

Report this post »

hotandspicy says...
3:54pm Mon 4 Mar 13

i'm getting bored now of reading vindictive reporting by BN about RBH, there is a theme here in which they are becoming 'under-performance junkies' to whip up infuriating comments about what an irrepairable state the hospital is in. there is an undertone of a sinister plot to get the place closed once and for all, probably being orchestrated within the dark corridoors of the town hall where someone is probably being offered a huge sum to bring the place to its knees, probably someone with direct contact to central government.
so one patient out of thousands who go through the doors each day decides to walk out for a day trip to Bristol, would this make headlines if it was a dentist or a chiropadist who was looking after him? or a hotel he was staying at? i know a person of 90 with alzheimers probably wouldn't be there anyway, but what will the next story be? patient with varrucca is forced to walk to bus stop after being discharged??
get ready for closure of the hospital - then all the 'ex-patients' who rise to the doom reporting on here will really have something to moan about when they have to travel 20 miles to get their boils lanced

Report this post »

bernie boy says...
4:52pm Mon 4 Mar 13

hotandspicy wrote:
i'm getting bored now of reading vindictive reporting by BN about RBH, there is a theme here in which they are becoming 'under-performance junkies' to whip up infuriating comments about what an irrepairable state the hospital is in. there is an undertone of a sinister plot to get the place closed once and for all, probably being orchestrated within the dark corridoors of the town hall where someone is probably being offered a huge sum to bring the place to its knees, probably someone with direct contact to central government.
so one patient out of thousands who go through the doors each day decides to walk out for a day trip to Bristol, would this make headlines if it was a dentist or a chiropadist who was looking after him? or a hotel he was staying at? i know a person of 90 with alzheimers probably wouldn't be there anyway, but what will the next story be? patient with varrucca is forced to walk to bus stop after being discharged??
get ready for closure of the hospital - then all the 'ex-patients' who rise to the doom reporting on here will really have something to moan about when they have to travel 20 miles to get their boils lanced
Are you serious? I'm astounded by the contents of your post! Are your claims grounded in fact, or have you read one too many conspiracy theories. If you're privy to information that's in all our interest, please elaborate, if not pipe down. That kind of talk can induce panic unnecessarily.

Report this post »

chris25 says...
7:11pm Mon 4 Mar 13

does any one know if he had his pyjamas on or day clothes if pjs says something about the general public who must have turned a blind eye instead of helping him

Report this post »

mr.mark.c says...
7:32pm Mon 4 Mar 13

chris25 wrote:
does any one know if he had his pyjamas on or day clothes if pjs says something about the general public who must have turned a blind eye instead of helping him
Very good point and I hope it was normal clothes.

Report this post »

hotandspicy says...
9:51am Tue 5 Mar 13

@ bernieboy - you are a c*ck.
did a bit of investigation on this one, took me all of ten minutes and a phone call to the hospital. fact - the ward he was on is THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANCHESTER HEALTH AUTHORITY, THEY RENT THE BUILDING FROM BOLTON, THE STAFF AND PATIENTS ARE ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANCHESTER HEALTH AUTHORITY - NOTHING TO DO WITH RBH. so why did this reporter not include this vital piece of information within the story and have usa all believe it was yet more mis-management from RBH bosses? i will let you work it out...

Report this post »

bernie boy says...
11:19am Tue 5 Mar 13

hotandspicy wrote:
@ bernieboy - you are a c*ck.
did a bit of investigation on this one, took me all of ten minutes and a phone call to the hospital. fact - the ward he was on is THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANCHESTER HEALTH AUTHORITY, THEY RENT THE BUILDING FROM BOLTON, THE STAFF AND PATIENTS ARE ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MANCHESTER HEALTH AUTHORITY - NOTHING TO DO WITH RBH. so why did this reporter not include this vital piece of information within the story and have usa all believe it was yet more mis-management from RBH bosses? i will let you work it out...
You really should get out more! You give the "reporter" too much credit. I should imagine the writer considers a "cover up" to be concerning bed spreads. You've also brought America into the debate, could you elaborate? x

Report this post »

bernie boy says...
11:32am Tue 5 Mar 13

"...the dark corridoors of the town hall..." Lol!

Report this post »

bernie boy says...
11:34am Tue 5 Mar 13

bernie boy wrote:
"...the dark corridoors of the town hall..." Lol!
They're far too incompetent to be corrupt!

Report this post »

Freddies Assistant says...
2:45pm Sat 9 Mar 13

I have been in RBH twice. One time, the nurses were excellent, but the other time, when I was quite ill, the nurses were appalling. I mean so appalling that I lay in bed and cried. I was scared, Ill, and completely ignored while they chatted in the office. I'm in my 40s, and not particularly shy and retiring either.

Report this post »

Smile everyday88 says...
8:45am Sun 10 Mar 13

This is a very upsetting case but thank god the man didn't come to hard. I'm staff and I imagine how easy it would be if one nurse is completing paperwork, one is doing medications, a health care is toileting and another is cleaning! So imagine this man just slipped by as many patients take it upon themselves to go and smoke at the main entrance!!! It is not ok to loose a patient but it could happen as the staffing levels are so low! If I was on that ward I know how upset and sick I would feel but its managements fault! We are trying and no we aren't saints but...we're trying

Report this post »

click2find

About cookies

We want you to enjoy your visit to our website. That's why we use cookies to enhance your experience. By staying on our website you agree to our use of cookies. Find out more about the cookies we use.

I agree