An MS patient has been left languishing in hospital after her care package of 15 years was cancelled within 48 hours of being admitted to A&E.
Lesley Jenkins, from East Kilbride has advanced MS after being diagnosed with the condition 25 years ago.
The 53-year-old now requires extensive care, twice-a-day, with two carers from CERA Care helping her right up until she was admitted to Hairmyres Hospital two weeks ago after a choking incident.
Husband, Paul had informed CERA that Lesley was in A&E - keeping them fully abreast of the situation throughout; yet, despite this, her care package was cancelled just two days later even though she was medically fit to be discharged after three days.
Now Lesley is stuck in hospital with a care package no longer in place at home.
"It is absolutely disgusting what they have done," Paul told Lanarkshire Live.
Care provider CERA say it is protocol to cancel a care package after 24 hours if a patient is admitted to hospital, but Paul has branded their actions as "reprehensible".
He added: "With no prior warning, we were told the care package she has had in place for the last 15 years was cancelled - that was within 48 hours of her being admitted to hospital.
"Doctors say Lesley is medically fit to be discharged, but that's two weeks now she has been stuck there as we no longer have a care package.
"She now needs a lot of care and is effectively quadriplegic, I simply can't do it on my own - it's morally reprehensible what has been done.
"If CERA had informed me I would have paid for the care to be kept in place for a few days until Lesley was home - but there was no communication of any shape or form - it's not as if the package was even just suspended temporarily.
"It's gone, handed back to South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) and someone else is probably now getting the slots in place of Lesley.
"At no time were we informed of the policy to cancel a care package if Lesley was hospitalised - it's a damn disgrace."
A spokeswoman for CERA said they had a "close relationship" with Lesley's family having cared for her for over a decade.
CERA's contract with SLC - as the local authority involved in the health and social care partnership - states that if a patient is hospitalised, the care package with that patient comes to an end.
The spokeswoman told us: "Our team kept the package open for 48 hours in the hope that they would be able to get Lesley home, but as there was no plan for imminent discharge, protocol had to be followed and our contract was closed by the local authority.
“We are glad to hear that Lesley is on the mend, and hope she is able to return home as soon as possible.”
Paul says the family appreciated there are difficulties within the care system, with ""not enough care packages or carers available," but says he is "angered" that what has happened to Lesley is - as he says - "down to the actions of CERA".
The family have contacted local MP, Lisa Cameron, regarding Lesley's situation who said she would "raise this matter at the highest level," saying it is "vital patients can be discharged home with appropriate care timeously".
She added: "I have recently had a number of cases of this nature and have raised this with the Scottish Government as I believe urgent support is required for the social care sector."
South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership say they cannot discuss individual cases.
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