29/01/2013 BBC Oxford News

Hello and welcome to South Today from Oxford. In tonight's

programme: A hospital apologises for discharging an elderly woman

with dementia in the middle of the night. Phyllis Collins was put in a

taxi, still wearing her hospital gown.

Appalling really that they can discharge an 85-year-old lady with

dementia out into a taxi. I mean, you know, anything could have

happened to her really. Also tonight: the death of two soldiers

in Afghanistan - an inquest hears their base could have been better

protected. And later: up before the beak -

find out how the law is giving a helping hand to birds of prey.

First tonight, an 85-year-old woman with dementia was discharged from a

Buckinghamshire hospital in the middle of the night in her hospital

gown. Phyllis Collins was sent to her care home in a taxi, and was

left in the common lobby when she couldn't get into her flat. She was

found cold and confused at 6.00am in the morning. Stoke Mandeville

Hospital has apologised. Stuart Tinworth reports.

Julie speaks to her elderly mother twice a day. Fill hreus has

dementia and has been in a home for 16 years. Earlier this month, she

was rushed to Stoke Mandeville with breathing problems but it was the

way she was discharged after being treated that's left this family

angry. Staff at the hospital booked her a cab at 2.00am. She left

hospital in the middle of the night, wearing just a hospital gown.

just think it's appalling really that they can discharge an 85-year-

old lady with dementia out into a taxi. I mean, you know, anything

could have happened to her really. I mean, there must have been

somebody around that could have seen this old lady wandering about

in a gown and walk out the main entrance. Somebody's got to be held

responsible. The hospital has now launched an investigation and

assured us this was an isolated incident. It's not good care. It's

not the care we expect for our patients. Patients are diskharpbled

in the middle of the night sometimes because it's appropriate,

they have carers at home and it's the best circumstances. But on this

occasion it wasn't the best solution for this lady. We failed

her. The hospital says it will speak to all staff involved to get

a full picture of what happened. And Julie hopes there will be some

answers as to why her mother was left in the cold.

Earlier, I spoke to Giulia Johnson from Age UK in Buckinghamshire, who

gave me her reaction to the story. Horrified. I am absolutely

horrified. I don't think it's ever appropriate to discharge somebody

in the middle of the night, whatever age they are but

particularly someone who's old and vulnerable, particularly wearing

nothing but a hospital gown. People should be treated with dignity.

There has been a national campaign to make hospitals aware of treating

older people with dignity. If you wouldn't want to be treated that

way yourself, why would you treat somebody else like that?

hospital has said in this case it did make a mistake, she shouldn't

have been discharged in the way she was at the time that she was. How

concerned are you generally about the discharge of elderly paeurbs, -

- patients, do you think there is too much pressure to get beds freed

up? There is pressure to free beds up and I do appreciate that as far

as the hospital's concerned if someone no longer has a clinical

need to be in hospital, they should be discharged as quickly as

possible into the community. However, I think the needs of the

individual should be taken into account and in this case clearly

something went wrong but I just think that someone somewhere along

the line should have questioned the fact that we are sending somebody

who's old home in the middle of the night in January wearing nothing

but a hospital gown. Common sense sense does not seem to have kicked

in along the line. We hear more now about care for the elderly, partly

because we are living longer so either people are elderly

themselves or they have elderly relatives. Absolutely, yes. You

know, the demographic trend, particularly in Buckinghamshire we

are going to have more people over 65 than ever before and a lot will

be 85-plus. Thank you. The father of a soldier based in

Bicester who was killed in Afghanistan says the Army should

get its act together and look after its lads. Corporal Andrew Roberts

and Private Ratu Silibaravi from 2- 3 Pioneer Regiment were killed in a

mortar attack in Helmand Province last May. Their colleagues told an

inquest in Oxford that fortifications to their base were

strengthened too late. Sinead Carroll reports.

He was known as ginge to his friends. 32-year-old father of

three corporate Andrew Roberts had been accepted for voluntary

redundancy so 2012's tour of Afghanistan would have been his

last. Just loved life. Loved his job. Yeah, a son you wish for.

year-old Private Silibaravi was killed with Andrew Roberts last May.

The They were sitting inside their base when they were attacked. It

was a hot morning and despite anxieties about an increased threat

from the Taliban, none of the soldiers had been forced to wear

their full body armour. Questions were also raised today about

whether the forward operating base in Helmand was adequately protected.

Both men died at the scene. The army need to get their act

together and look after lads better, not put other things first. That

should have been protected first and then done the other areas that

they need to be doing. Despite the questions raised here at Oxford

coroner's court about the armour provision, about the way that the

base was fortified, and indeed about whether the attack could have

been predicted, the coroner decided against making any recommendations

to the MoD. He said that the changes that had been made since

last May at the base were adequate. Instead, he recorded two verdicts

of unlawful killing while on active service.

A man described as the naked rambler has failed to have a case

against him dismissed at Oxford Crown Court. Steven Gough from

Eastleigh in Hampshire has appeared in court on numerous occasions in

the last few years. Last December, he was arrested for outraging

public decency in Carterton. He appeared naked in court today and

was told by the judge that his case would go to trial. River levels are

expected to rise across the region over the next few days. Some roads

and acres of farmland are flooded. Up to three centimetres of rain

could fall in the next few days - half the usual amount for the whole

of January. The Environment Agency is warning that further flooding is

possible. Almost �2 million needs to be spent on dilapidated

community centres in Oxford. Jericho Community Association,

along with Donnington Centre and East Oxford Games Hall, are in the

worst condition. Oxford City Council owns most of the buildings

and is negotiating with the landlord in Jericho. It says the

works aren't urgent, a view disputed by those using the centres.

This building is very much the centre of the community in Jericho

and it's full seven days a week from 9.00am until 10.00pm at night.

Everything from baby and toddler groups to pole dancing classes and

it's a vital part of the community and yet the building's falling to

pieces. Sometimes the simplest ideas are

the best, and it was a simple idea that became a worldwide success for

an Oxfordshire woman. 30 years ago today, Leslie Scott launched the

game Jenga - a toy that's gone on to sell more than 50 million sets

across the world. James Ingham has been to meet her.

What's not to like? Young children love building and knocking over

towers. So a game based on that premise had potential. At least

that was the hope of Jenga's inventor 30 years ago. I thought it

was going to be successful, but I don't think I even I at that time

would have said it would be 54 million units of the game sold. I

mean, that's mind-blowing really. Tell me where you got this idea

from. It kind of evolved. My much younger brother, who was a baby at

the time, had a set of playing blocks. Didn't really think that it

was anything that unusual. Just thought this is what people did

with blocks of wood. It was some years later that I decided to

actually make a game of it and take it to market. But this wasn't an

overnight success. At her first toy fair 30 years ago today, no one

paid any attention. Eventually a Canadian company showed interest

and it gradually took off. It's a lot of luck. I think there

is determination but I think without the luck I don't know that

- I don't think it would have succeeded. But succeed it did. Two

million packs are sold around the world every year. Leslie has

devised around 40 games since, and is working on a new idea now, but

it's her first that's going to be hard to beat.