Kate Garraway shares 'distressed' husband Derek Draper fell out of wheelchair

13 January 2023 , 09:58

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Kate Garraway shares 'distressed' husband Derek Draper fell out of wheelchair

Kate Garraway has shared the "distressing" moment her husband Derek Draper fell out of his wheelchair in a taxi, as they were forced to seek alternative transport due to long waiting times for ambulances and other hospital transport.

The Good Morning Britain host was discussing ambulance wait times on the show on Friday, and whether taxis should be sent to 999 calls.

Her co-host Ben Shephard and two guests debated the topic, with the point coming up that taxi drivers are unlikely trained the way paramedics are.

Kate then brought up an incident with her husband Derek where she decided to travel home from the hospital with him in a taxi, as he was "in pain" and "distressed" and the wait for a mobility service was too long.

Kate Garraway has shared the "distressing" moment her husband Derek Draper fell out of his wheelchair (ITV)

She revealed that as the wheelchair-friendly taxi went over a speed bump, Derek slipped out of his wheelchair.

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With the help of the taxi driver, Kate was able to get Derek back into his seat and get him home - while Kate added that other taxi drivers may not have been able to do that.

Derek continues to suffer long-term effects after contracting Covid-19 in 2020, with Kate regularly updating fans on his health and progress.

Good Morning Britain host Kate Garraway revealed she and a taxi driver had to help her husband Derek Draper (ITV)

Former political advisor Derek is said to be the worst affected living Covid patient in the UK after spending 13 months in hospital, while he continues to receive care at home.

Derek still has issues with mobility and communication, and has struggled with major health problems.

Suggesting it might not be the best idea to send taxis to 999 calls, given the help paramedics can offer that drivers cannot, Kate shared on Friday she wasn't even sure how to handle a situation like that with Derek.

She said: "I've used a lot of cabs for Derek to go to and from the hospital because the mobility services are very, very delayed.

The Good Morning Britain host was discussing ambulance wait times on the show on Friday (ITV)

"If you try to book an official car you can sometimes be waiting five hours.

"He was in a lot of pain, so it wasn't sustainable to wait. We took a cab home from the hospital, went over a speed bump and he slipped out of the wheelchair. It's hard to deal with."

Kate added: "I should say Derek was fine by the way. Distressed, but fine."

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV1 and ITV X.

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