Wife 'smuggles' top Scotland Yard policeman out of hospital after ski accident
The wife of a Scotland Yard Superintendent who was severely injured in a skiing accident has 'smuggled' him out of a North London hospital after concerns over his care.
Clive Wakeley, 52, was left brain damaged after an accident in the Italian Alps in 2010.
Joanne Wakeley, 48, became worried about her husband's progress after he underwent an operation at the National Hospital for Neurology in Central London.
She claims the operation and following treatment left him worse than when he was first injured in April 2010.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, she said: "The nursing care was poor. He vomited and because no one had been assigned to look after him he choked and developed a chest infection.
"He was also given a feeding tube and drip because they couldn't be bothered to take the time to give him food and water."
She also claimed her husband was left in soiled sheets and not showered or shaved for 17 days.
Mrs Wakeley last week decided she'd had enough, and resolved to 'smuggle' him out of the hospital.
She visited with her children and asked a nurse to put Mr Wakeley in a wheelchair. She then wheeled him out. "I said to the children, "Run!" We managed to get him in the car," she told the Daily Mail.
She says her husband is happier at home, but taking legal action against the hospital to pay for more physiotherapy.
A spokesman for the hospital said: "We have found no evidence that Mr Wakeley's treatment was below the standard we would expect.
"We regret that Mrs Wakeley was unhappy with the care her husband received and will be contacting her to discuss her concerns in detail."
Mr Wakeley suffered severe head injuries when he was hit by a drunken skier while on holiday at the resort of Bardonecchia, close to Turin, in the Italian Alps with Joanne and their three children.
They were returning to their hotel after a day's skiing, according to The Sun.
Before his accident, Mr Wakeley played a big role in foiling a plot to bomb the London Eye tourist attract and the M16 headquarters in South London.
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