Grandmother with dementia sent home from hospital on Christmas Day and left outside in pyjamas

An elderly dementia patient is reported to have been discharged from hospital and left on her doorstep with no keys on Christmas Day, wearing only pyjamas and slippers.

The Telegraph revealed how 76-year-old Florence Myerscough from Bolton was found by neighbours after being left in the freezing rain and unable to get into her home.

Her daughter, Karen Bye, was reported to have been "furious" at the treatment her mother received and was shocked that Bolton Hospital failed to inform her of the discharge.

Speaking to the Telegraph, Bye said: "We were under the impression mum wasn't coming home. If she was, then we should automatically have had a phone call to say she was being discharged."

On the afternoon of Christmas Day Myerscough was admitted to hospital with serious back pain before later being released at around 10pm.

Bye's anger was only made worse after she contacted doctors about her mother's condition.

She said: "The doctor said he had cleaned up my mum's foot. I said 'what do you mean, she didn't come in with a foot problem!'

"That taxi driver has just dropped her off and driven off. She had no key, nothing."

Bye revealed that her mother suffers from disorientation and confusion as a result of her dementia.

Myerscough's husband, 81-year-old Ernest, was upset at hearing the news while staying with his other daughter.

In a statement, Heather Edwards, of Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Our protocol is we instruct the taxi driver to ensure the patient is not left outside their home, but seen to enter safely.

"We are not clear what happened in this particular case and would ask Mrs Bye to get in touch so we can discuss it further."

The North West Ambulance Service also apologised for the incident, passing on their "warmest regards" to Myerscough.