Family distraught at death-bed eviction

The family of a lung cancer patient are devastated after being evicted from Palmerston North Hospital as she lay dying.

Relatives claim a security guard ordered them to leave an otherwise empty family unit at 1.37am on February 10.

They had gathered at the hospital to comfort Elizabeth Wood, 56, as she neared the end of a two-year battle with cancer.

Doctors had told the family Mrs Wood might not survive the night.

Her relatives were staying in the hospital's family accommodation unit, Te Whare Rapuora, discussing funeral arrangements when they were evicted.

"It was so humiliating. It was like we were begging to stay," said her brother Bob Peni.

"We told the security guard we had old people with us but he was very aggressive. We were so tired and scared that our sister would die without us near but he didn't seem to care."

Mr Peni said 10 family members were in the whare when the security guard arrived, citing hospital policy that only three of them were permitted to stay.

"Other families were booked in but they hadn't arrived. We pointed out that we were the only ones there and tried to reason that surely it could be sorted in the morning."

Mrs Wood had been admitted to Ward 23 on February 8 in the final stages of palliative care.

The following day her immediate family arrived from around the country.

"We were working in shifts," Mr Peni said. "Three or four were always with her, bathing her and making sure she was comfortable. She had her own room and the nurses were wonderful and appreciative."

But members of her family were evicted in the middle of the night, less than 12 hours after they arrived.

The family drove to another brother in Levin.

The three beds in the unit were left for Mrs Wood's husband, a son and daughter.

Later that morning - when it had become clear little more could be done for Mrs Wood - doctors agreed that she return home to Levin, where she died on February 13.

Palmerston North Hospital confirmed the family were told to leave and have begun investigating after the Herald made inquiries.

Hospital communications team leader Dennis Geddis said family members were restricted to three in the unit so there was always room for others.

"We take complaints seriously. They are fully investigated so that if there is anything we can learn from it then we will."