HOSPITAL bosses have been told to end the ‘unacceptable’ practice of discharging patients in the middle of the night.

According to figures obtained by the Lancashire Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act, about 3,000 patients were discharged from the Royal Blackburn and Burnley General hospitals between 11pm and 6am last year.

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust said the figures were taken from an administration system, so there may have been some inaccurate recording.

Rising admissions mean hospitals have been under increasing pressure to free up beds, but MP Gordon Birtwistle said ‘better organisation’ was needed to ensure elderly patients were not sent home in the early hours.

The figures for East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust (ELHT) showed 2,913 patients were discharged overnight in 2012, which represented 2.57 per cent of all discharges. This was up slightly from 2,791 in 2011 (2.56 per cent) and 2,541 in 2010 (2.37 per cent).

This raised concern from Marian Calvert, of Great Harwood, whose 87-year-old mum was sent home from the Royal Blackburn Hospital wearing just a nightie, on a freezing night in January.

Mary Smith, of Haydock Nursing Home, Blackburn, was left shivering in an ambulance as the driver struggled to find the home, prompting a complaint and an apology from the hospital.

Marian, 62, said: “I had offered to take her home at 7pm, but the ward manager assured me it would be a morning discharge.”

Mrs Smith died in March from her long-term illnesses.

Mr Birtwistle, MP for Burnley, said: “All the time I hear about elderly people discharged during the night without transport provided. I think it’s unacceptable. It must be very distressing for the patient and their family.”

ELHT said the data had been taken from an administration system, so some casenotes may have been completed in batches on quieter periods, resulting in potential inaccurate recording.

Val Bertenshaw, director of operations, said they included patients who did not require admission after being assessed. She said: “It is important to note that routine discharge at the trust is not undertaken after 10pm unless a patient specifically requests this.”