Woman shocked to discover hospital believed she was deceased
Imagine strolling up to the reception desk and being informed that you are already dead. That's a new one.
Susan Johnson, a 62-year-old retired housekeeper, got the shock of her life when hospital staff informed her she was supposed to have been dead for four months.
The incident left Susan Johnson shocked and 'shaking like a leaf' after being told by doctors that she was already 'dead'. Her husband then took her for a strong coffee to settle her nerves following the bizarre mix-up.
The incident occurred when Susan Johnson turned up for a hospital scan.
Susan Johnson was shocked when staff at Bridlington Hospital in Yorkshire informed her that, according to their records, she was already 'dead'.
They explained that according to their records, she was supposed to have been six feet under for the last four months.
Susan was listed as dead is quite a complicated pickle to claw your way out of.
The wrongly listed status as deceased deeply affected her life.
After the incident, Susan had before her hospital appointment was set to take place in March last year, Susan told BBC News: "I gave them my letter and their first words were, 'ooh you're dead'.
She continued: "I said, 'Pardon?' I was in shock. Then they put something on the computer so I could have the scan and then they just said, 'bye' and that's it."
Because of the barmy error, Susan's carer's allowance - which she receives for looking after Bob, who is disabled - was briefly stopped.
Susan explained that the mix-up really took a toll on her life.
"I shut down completely," she recalled. "I didn't talk or anything, I was in my own little bubble. It was very hard, there was no one to talk to."
Scarborough Medical Group stated they received an electronic instruction to remove Susan from their records.
Susan then explained that she was forced to get in touch with her GP to inform them that she was still alive and kicking.
However, she discovered that she was still listed as deceased on their system after contacting the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
The frustrated mum then had to explain that she was in fact still breathing and responded by saying: "I'm not [dead], I'm still talking to you."
The BBC reported that Scarborough Medical Group claimed to have received an electronic instruction from Primary Care Support England (PCSE) stating that Susan should be removed from their records.
Additionally, NHS England acknowledged being aware of a problem regarding an inaccurate civil death registration, which was later corrected by the patient's GP
