HOSPITAL patients are still being sent home by taxis but are no longer charged for the fare in the aftermath of the incident leading up to the death of Rosyth man Graeme Aitken.

The Press revealed the tragic details of the case earlier this year with Mr Aitken (right), who was blind, being sent home in the middle of the night in his nightclothes and found by his wife in the front garden shouting for help after being “dumped” by a taxi.

He was so ill he had to be immediately returned to the Victoria Hospital where he died the next day.

Weeks later a bill for the taxi fare was addressed to Mr Aitken and opened by his grieving widow.

The case was highlighted by a member of the public during the questions session at the visit of health cabinet secretary Alex Neil for the NHS Fife annual review on Tuesday.

She said, “Can I ask about the policy of sending people home in taxis. Are they all paid for by the national health or are they having to pay their own taxi fares?

“Sometimes in the middle of the night these people are being sent home, sometimes only with their night things on. It seems to me there are a number of occasions when this policy is still going on.

“We’ve read about it in the Press and a number of times you’ve said you’ve looked into it but it is still happening.” NHS Fife chair Allan Burns said, “I think the incident you describe is perhaps not one of our finest moments in terms of how we dealt with that. I believe the policy has now been clarified and we can no longer charge people for that basis. I think we did and took on board some heavy criticism – perhaps rightful criticism – and we’ve stopped that policy.” Heather Knox, NHS Fife acute services director, said, “You’re absolutely right. It was a very difficult story for us in the Press. Just to be absolutely clear we’re not issuing bills any more for that service.

“We do have to use taxis on occasion because we can’t always get an ambulance, that’s just the way things are, so when we use taxis we try to use them appropriately.” The woman then asked, “Do you not think it’s a very difficult thing? You’re sending people home in taxis, sometimes elderly people into their own homes where’s there no-one there to help them and you’re sending them home only with a taxi driver.” Heather Knox replied, “We would aim to always phone ahead and speak to whoever is going to be there at the other end or also to see if someone could go with them.

“We’re also looking into a befriending service where somebody could accompany them. That’s something we’re looking into for the future so we’d always look at the risks of putting someone into a taxi before we do that.” The Press asked Mr Neil for his opinion on the case. He answered, “You heard the chairman say it shouldn’t have happened and described as not their finest hour to say the least and I would agree with him. Clearly that shouldn’t be allowed to happen again.”