Edward Cope, 74, was arrested by Greater Manchester Police while they spoke to his wife who had discharged herself from hospital before being de-arrested, and has now complained
A pensioner whose wife vanished when she discharged herself from hospital before coming home hours later was arrested and put in a police van while she was questioned.
Edward Cope, 74, was detained by Greater Manchester Police as he objected to his partner being taken back to hospital after she earlier visited for a capacity assessment. His wife had earlier attended Wythenshawe Hospital but left of her own accord when it was decided she did not require further treatment.
But as she left, of her own accord, before being formally discharged, she was deemed to be ‘missing’. A nurse called her husband who called the police and frantically searched the streets. She eventually returned home at 12.30am and later police and paramedics arrived, saying his wife needed to go back to hospital to be assessed.
When he objected, he was arrested before being de-arrested. He told Manchester Evening News : “I told them I would not allow her to go back to hospital [and] was then arrested, handcuffed and placed in a van while my wife was questioned.
“In my 74 years, I have never been in trouble with the police. The handcuffs cut into my wrist and the van was freezing.”
Mr Cope, after an hour, was later de-arrested and no further action was taken. He said that while he was in the van, officers woke his wife up to discuss her going back to hospital. In the end, she stayed at home. Mr Cope has made a formal complaint to GMP.
A force spokesperson said: “We were called to support the ambulance service after they reported that a man was repeatedly refusing them to medically assess an unwell woman.
“Attempts to engage with him were unsuccessful. To ensure the woman could be checked by paramedics, officers detained the man, and the medical assessment took place. The man was allowed back into the address once it was complete.
“We understand the concerns raised by Mr Cope and we would have preferred the scenario to have played out differently. However, the priority of all concerned, including him, was the welfare of the woman and ensuring she could be properly assessed.”
The force said Mr Cope was arrested on suspicion of breach of the peace before being de-arrested. Mr Cope has been his wife’s full time carer for 10 years. She has suffered a series of bleeds on the brain, has had major surgery and takes medication daily.
He added: “I believe I had the right to challenge the police in my own home on matters concerning my wife, who is under my care. It was is over the top policing. I did not threaten or attack any staff. I was strongly vocal.”
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Wythenshawe hospital, said in a statement: “We can confirm [Mr Cope’s wife] attended Wythenshawe Hospital’s A&E department on February 18, 2025. [She] was assessed and did not require further hospital treatment. Hospital staff discussed this with [her] and her husband. [She] then decided to leave the A&E department of her own accord before she could be formally discharged.
“As [she] left without any formal discharge arrangements, our hospital staff continued to follow the correct procedures and alerted the North West Ambulance Service and Greater Manchester Police to follow up with Mrs Cope in line with the standard missing patients policy.”
