John Barnett received six hours of hospital care for a broken neck and sternum before being told he had to leave.
Now his family is demanding answers as to why the 41-year-old man was discharged from Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital in Fredericton hours after he crashed his motorcycle and with little in the way of follow-up care for injuries that could have long – time effects.
“This is unacceptable,” his wife, Taylor Grandy, said in an interview Friday.
“He should still be in the hospital. It really should be at least a week or more.’
Barnett recently bought a motorcycle and went out for a ride with a friend Tuesday afternoon, Grandy said.
Shortly after crossing the Princess Margaret Bridge on Highway 8, Grandy said, her husband hit some gravel, lost control of his bike and crashed into the highway median.
Paramedics took him to Dr. Everett Chalmers Regional Hospital around 8 p.m., where he was treated for a broken C7 vertebra in his neck, a broken sternum, a broken nose, a split tongue and broken teeth.
Grundy said she rushed to the hospital, fearing the worst.
Taylor Grundy has been caring for her husband since he was released from the hospital in the early hours of Wednesday. (Submitted by Taylor Grundy)
When she got there, a nurse warned her of the seriousness of Barnett’s injuries before wheeling him back to the emergency room on a stretcher after his CT scan.
“He was in so much pain. So much pain. He said, ‘Taylor, I think my back is broken,’ and it was just a mess.”
Grandy said that after the CT scan results confirmed a broken vertebra in his neck, staff began giving her instructions on how to maintain the brace her husband had around his neck.
Then, without explanation, they informed the Barnett couple that she would be discharged from the hospital later that evening.
“They wanted to put him in bed … to get him moving and said, ‘You can go home tonight.’
“And even John couldn’t believe it.”
John Barnett and Taylor Grundy live in Fredericton with their five children. The photo is before the accident. (Submitted by Taylor Grundy)
Grundy said she called Barnett’s sister around 1 a.m. to help get him out of the hospital. After a 90-minute struggle to move him without injuring him, they loaded him into the family minivan with their five children and drove back to their home in Fredericton.
Staff sent Barnett home with some Tylenol tablets, prescriptions for naproxen and morphine and a referral to a neurosurgeon in St. John, Grandy said.
It’s a decision that, even two days later, still baffles her given the severity of his injuries.
“And the doctor told me that if he moves a certain way or if he takes [brace] off or something, he could be paralyzed.”
Grundy also said she called the neurosurgeon Barnett had referred to the next day, only to find out he was off work for the next week and a half.
CBC News asked Horizon Health Network why staff chose to release Barnett when they did, and is awaiting a response.
Grandy is the second person this month to publicly criticize Chalmers Hospital.
John Staples said he witnessed an elderly man die while waiting to receive care in a hospital waiting room in the early morning hours of July 12.
This prompted Horizon to launch a review of what happened, and later prompted Prime Minister Blaine Higgs to fire Horizon chief executive John Dornan and replace the boards of both Horizon and Vitalité with separate trustees.
Seek action from the Prime Minister
In addition to his wife, Barnett’s parents are also demanding answers and action in light of the decision to discharge him hours after arriving at the hospital.
Dave and Nancy Barnett, John Barnett’s parents, are calling on Prime Minister Blaine Higgs to investigate why their son was discharged from hospital. (Submitted by Dave Barnett)
“The hospital’s action leaves us disgusted and angry,” Dave and Nancy Barnett said in a letter they sent to Higgs on Thursday.
“Why wasn’t our son kept for observation for at least 24 to 48 hours after he was told he could be paralyzed? Why was he sent home in his condition after six hours?’
In an interview Friday, Dave Barnett said he had not heard back from Higgs, adding that he was not just looking for an explanation, but action to improve the care offered at the hospital.
“I’m hoping to hear some statement or news coming out that they’re going to find more money or allocate resources or transfer money and get more nurses and/or doctors in [Chalmers] to resolve this critical situation,” Barnett said.
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Higgs said he had received the Barnetts’ letter and would be contacting them to learn more about their experience.
“It’s not something I will comment on further in the media as I would prefer to speak to them directly,” he said.
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