A scared 75-year-old patient who used the underpass came across a homeless man, hospital equipment and piles of litter
The man was found in a hospital wheelchair surrounded by other equipment, blankets and litter(Image: Mary-Rose Terry)
A patient has described the sad moment she stumbled upon a homeless man sleeping in a medical wheelchair in a “squalid” Nottingham hospital underpass.
Mary-Rose Terry, 75, originally thought the man was dead after finding him covered by a blanket and surrounded by other hospital equipment near the Queen’s Medical Centre, saying she had “never seen anything so squalid and sad in my life”.
The underpass in Derby Road, Lenton was also full of litter, including discarded food, plastic bags, cigarette butts and cardboard boxes.
Nottingham City Council said its maintenance team had since cleared the items and would increase the amount of visits to the area.
Housing association Framework said it was aware of several people, some of whom are waiting to be housed, rough sleeping near the hospital.
Ms Terry, from Leicestershire, was visiting the QMC for the first time for an appointment with her neurosurgeon when she came across the man on the morning of Friday, March 27.
“As we walked down the subway we stopped in our tracks,” she recalled.
“I thought the guy was dead. There was no movement whatsoever, but eventually he moved so we knew he was okay.
“I asked if he wanted food and he said ‘no, money’. The smell was horrific, urine and rubbish. It was awful.
“It was really scary. There were blankets and stuff laid over the floor.”
Ms Terry said she found it “unbelievable” that the subway could be allowed to reach that state.
“To be faced with that before you walk into the hospital is a bit daunting. I’ve got to go back and the thought of going to the subway is not good. We won’t use that again. Next time I shall be crossing,” she said.
“I find it totally sad that our government is allowing that to happen and not putting in more effort to allow these people to be safe.
“I hope something gets done for the guy and make it a better walk to the hospital.”
Councillor Zafran Khan, who represents the Wollaton West ward, reported the subway to the city council’s maintenance team after seeing photos posted by Ms Terry on social media.
“I’m appalled at the pictures I’ve seen. When it was brought to my attention I was horrified by what I saw,” he said.
“It looks to be in a horrendous state and like it had been like that for a long time.
“It’s not something we as a city pride ourselves on. We try to make everything beautiful for residents.”
A spokesperson for the city council said: “We are aware of the concerns raised about the underpass near the Queen’s Medical Centre. Our teams attended the site this week and have cleared all items, working quickly to make the area safe and accessible.
“We are working with partner agencies to monitor the area and will be increasing visits in the coming weeks.”
Mark Garner, Framework operations manager, said: “Our street outreach teams are already aware of the individuals rough sleeping near QMC and are engaging with them regularly.
“People can find themselves sleeping rough for many complex reasons, and our priority is always to build trust and help them move towards somewhere safe and stable.
“Several of the people in this area are already waiting to be housed through our services, and we’ll continue working closely with our partners to make sure they receive the support they need.”
Nottingham University Hospitals, which runs the QMC, was contacted for comment.
