"Impatient discharge procedure on Ward 49"

My mother, a pensioner, was being discharged from Ward 49. The staff had been told there was no one available to collect her until after teatime as we are all working full time and were unable to take time off.

I myself work full time, I'm self employed, I have vertigo, arthritis and I'm on tamoxifen so have considerable joint pain and don't feel well enough to drive into Glasgow and back, so I was relying on either my husband who works upwards of 12 hours a day, or my adult children who don't finish work until after 5pm.

The staff's attitude was snippy at best, I was told she needed to be out of the ward as they needed the bed, fair enough. But to be told she couldn't wait in the discharge bay as "it was closed" seemed to imply that they wanted rid of her and couldn't supervise her. Why is a patient being discharged if she requires supervision? If I'm wrong I'm happy to be corrected, but that's what it sounded like. I was then told she'd be put into a taxi, and asked if she had money. Could they not have asked her that?

All in all I am appalled at the attitude of staff who don't take into account that family members can't just drop everything to suit them. I'm aware of the pressure on services, having worked in the NHS for several decades, but courtesy goes a long way in reassurance. 

NHS staff are paid out of the public purse, and should treat the public with a bit more compassion.