Tragedy of Wigan mum who died days after being discharged from hospital to a hotel

Doctors believed 36-year-old Victoria Cartwright required round-the-clock support as her struggles with drink had led to alcohol-induced brain disease.

But she was instead discharged from hospital to the Mercure hotel, in Wigan.

A few days later, on Christmas Day, Victoria fell nearby while drunk and died after developing hypothermia, with her body lying undiscovered until the following morning.

During an inquest in Bolton, coroner Rachel Syed raised concerns about Victoria’s discharge to the hotel.

She will issue a regulation 28 prevention of future deaths report in the hope the same thing will not happen to anyone else.

Ms Syed said: “I have concerns regarding the discharge rationale for releasing Victoria to the Mercure hotel, despite the recommendations of Dr Prasad that she would need a 24-hour care placement.”

She also had concerns about the lack of integrated working between staff at Wigan Infirmary and other organisations, after hearing a recovery worker supporting Victoria from We Are With You was not invited to a multi-disciplinary meeting before she was discharged.

Victoria grew up in Abram, married her childhood sweetheart, welcomed a son, worked as a hairdresser and had “everything to live for”.

But she turned to alcohol when her marriage broke down and, despite attending rehab twice and abstaining for some time, her addiction was a long-standing problem.

Victoria was taken to Wigan Infirmary in November and an assessment found she had alcohol-induced brain disease, causing problems with her short-term memory.

She needed 24-hour care, but instead she was discharged to the Mercure on December 19. Dr Prasad was not told and said it was not an appropriate place.

Victoria was admitted to the hospital again on December 21 with alcohol intoxication and discharged to the hotel.

The inquest heard CCTV footage showed her getting out of a car at 8.35pm on Christmas Day near a pub opposite the hotel.

She sat on a bench, before getting up, staggering and falling over. It was there her body was found the next morning by a passer-by.

A post-mortem examination found Victoria died of hypothermia and had drank a large amount of alcohol before her death.

Ms Syed recorded her death was accidental.