The family of an 81-year-old woman who died on the side of a motorway after being taken hundreds of miles from her home for mental health treatment are demanding answers over why she was taken so far away.

Peggy Copeman died on the hard shoulder of the M11 while being transferred from a private care unit in Somerset to her local hospital in Norfolk.

When she originally sought treatment, there were no beds available at her local hospital, but for reasons that are yet to be publicly explained, she was sent to a facility more than 200 miles away from her home in New Buckenham, about 14 miles southwest of Norwich.

Four days later, while on the journey back from the Taunton area, she suffered a heart attack after becoming distressed in the ambulance.

Her daughter, Maxine Fulcher, told Sky News she did not understand why her mother had been sent to a unit on the other side of the country.

“I’m just dreadfully shocked that it was so far – too far,” she added.

Her journey back from Somerset was arranged because a bed for Mrs Copeman had eventually been secured in Norfolk.

Her son-in-law Nick Fulcher told Sky News: “The poor lady was left on the floor in the van.

“Sorry, but that is disgusting.”

In a statement, a spokesman for the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are very sorry about Mrs Copeman’s death and our thoughts are with her family and friends during this difficult time.

“Our Trust will be working with Cygnet Health Care to investigate the circumstances and we will keep the family informed.”

They added that a liaison officer was in touch with the family to offer support.

Cygnet Health Care, which runs the Somerset hospital where she was sent, said it had remained in contact with Mrs Copeman’s relatives throughout her short spell in its hospital and would also continue to provide support.

The mental health service provider added that it was assisting the NHS trust with its investigation.

“In the meantime our thoughts remain with those affected,” said a spokesman.

Sophie Corlett, from the mental health charity MIND, told Sky News that the case was a good example of why being moved out of your local area for treatment is a “really terrible idea”.

“You are so far away from your friends, family and support network, people who can drop in and say hello and have a cup of tea and help you on the road to recovery,” she said.

“It’s terrible for you – you’re feeling vulnerable and confused, and being away from all that’s familiar and all that can support you is very difficult for people.”

Ms Corlett said people with mental health problems need to be getting better care within their local community to avoid getting to the point where hospital treatment is needed.

She added that there were not enough alternatives to hospitals to help those who reach crisis point, and that as a result more hospital beds were needed to cope.

According to MIND, more than 7,900 people were sent far away from home for mental health treatment when they could have been closer, in the year up to last summer.

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust said it was committed to reducing the need for out-of-area beds.

“Since the spring, we have reduced out-of-trust placements from 71 to 10 today,” said a spokesman.

“We have a dedicated, clinically-led bed management team, who work hard to get patients back closer to home and with the right support as soon as possible.”

The trust says it is confident of meeting a government target to eliminate “inappropriate out of area placements” in mental health services for adults by 2020-21.

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