A MENTALLY ill woman was taken out of her hospital bed and told to spend the night in an armchair by nurses.

Marnie Chantler, 43, of Somercotes, Laindon, had been receiving treatment at Basildon Hospital for 10 days for a personality disorder when doctors said she needed to be kept in another night.

However, nurses didn’t get the message and moved the woman from her bed to an armchair in a side room where she had to spend the night.

Mrs Chantler’s furious mum Linda Dobson, 64, has now complained to the South Essex Partnership Trust, who are responsible for the mental health unit at the hospital.

Mrs Dobson from Thornbush, Laindon, said: “It is disgraceful behaviour from the nurses. I want to know how they could let this happen. I am very surprised that someone with mental issues was allowed to sleep in an armchair. The most infuriating thing is she was still a patient but she seemed to lose her privilege. She wasn’t treated well.”

Mrs Chantler, a mum of tow, was admitted to the Westley ward inside the mental health unit on Wednesday, February 6. She was due to be sent home on Tuesday, February 19, but a risk assessment carried out by doctors that evening found she needed to be kept in. However, when the nursing shift changed over a little later at 8.30pm they had not been informed that Mrs Chantler was still a patient and told her she had to vacate her bed for another patient.

Mrs Chantler was not in the right frame of mind to leave the hospital so was told to stay in an armchair in the quiet side room. Mrs Dobson has written a letter of complaint to the hospital and the South Essex Partnership Trust, who are responsible for the mental health unit.

A spokesman for the South Essex Partnership Trust said: “The trust is investigating a formal complaint and will respond to the patient addressing all concerns raised.”