A man who was allowed to discharge himself from a Lanarkshire mental health ward has died after walking in front of a train.
David Timlin, 51, was struck less than an hour after leaving ward 19 of Hairmyres Hospita l in East Kilbride last month.
He died in hospital on Christmas Eve after suffering appalling injuries
Now his family are demanding answers and say he should have never been allowed to walk out of the mental health ward.
David's niece Romany McGuinness, 29, told our sister paper, the Daily Record: "They said he was fit to leave and to make his own decisions but his family knew he wasn’t.
“He had been in hospital since October but they let him out in November even though he was suicidal.
“We cared for him round the clock, 24/7. They sent him home and a psychiatrist didn’t even phone for two-and-a-half weeks. When he did phone he promised him they would look after him and make him better."
Romany went on: "He went back into hospital in December but they said he didn’t have to be sectioned because he was not a harm to himself. But we knew he was.
“Less than a week later the hospital said he was fit to leave and make his own decisions but we believe they are trying to cover their tracks because of what’s happened.
“They say they can’t tell us anything about the doctor who deemed him fit to leave because they have launched an inquiry.
“But whoever deemed him fit to leave allowed him to leave without a prescription. They are claiming he told them he had medication at home but who takes the word of a mentally ill patient?
“He didn’t even have a jacket or a phone when he walked out the hospital.”
David’s family only found out he’d left hospital when British Transport Police got in touch to tell them of the tragedy.
He was hit by a train at Glasgow’s Argyle Street station on Monday, December 13 at 10.03.
David, of Hamilton, suffered catastrophic brain injuries and broke several bones in his spine but the family prayed he would pull through.
However, medics at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital were unable to offer them any hope and his life support was switched off on December 18.
He died six days later, on Christmas Eve.
Romany said her uncle had been “crying out for help”.
She added: “He had a long history of mental health problems but he thought he was going into Hairmyres to be safe and get better.
“How could someone say that he was fit to leave?
“He didn’t want to go back into hospital but he saw it as a safe place and one where he would get well.
"After a week he was told he was well enough to leave. He knew he wasn’t and clearly thought there was no more they could do for him."
Romany added: "It happened the same week 40 staff were isolating with Covid and we think with Christmas coming they just wanted to clear the beds.
“We need to know why my uncle was allowed to leave hospital and prevent it happening to someone else.”
An NHS Lanarkshire spokesperson said: “We are unable to comment on individual cases due to patient confidentiality.”
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