"No help to get mum home after she was..."

My mother was admitted as an emergency to CCU, Cardiac Care Unit after a heart attack. She already has AF and Heart Failure. I cannot fault the care she received whilst she was in hospital - the nursing staff were friendly, caring and helpful, this doctors were good, although, mum tells me, she felt she was unable to get them to answer her questions about her heart be sure they were always in a rush. When you're not well, you can't always take everything in, what's been said, and mum felt she just needed someone to sit down with her and explain things. I did ask her to ask them to write things down if she didn't understand the jargon, and legs face it, who does (unless they're also medical staff!) but she felt left in the dark about her future. Despite raising concerns over and again, no-one had tine Tobit down and take time to explain which would have been a great help. We know CCU is a high intensity, very busy unit for patients with acute heart complaints that need attention and care, but if only there could be a member of staff to discuss concerns with a patient and address their fears and worries, this would help a lot.

My complaint is this: there is no help, by the hospital or otherwise to help a patient get home after discharge. The common mantra seems to be: rely on friends and family. But we DONT HAVE friends or family. Our extended family has broken up, friends are few and far between, and I can't drive. If I could, I would be there to pick up my mother. My mum has-been forced into getting TWO BUSES home, plus a walk after being admitted to the CCU! We don't have a magic money tree available for taxis. Mum is on benefit of pension credit, I'm on benefits (through disabilities and poor health), so money is very tight, and any extras that crop up, such as taxis, money isn't there to pay for it. I'm appalled there is no help to get someone home, safely, in such circumstances. Yes, funds are limited and the NHS is under strain, but surely, in certain circumstances, help can be made available, and on this occasion, the hospital fell far short in regards to this. Not everyone has friends and family for support. Nor does everyone have unlimited ready access to easy money for taxis home from hospital! This situation really needs to be addressed. Pals couldn't do anything, despite me calling them. The attitude seemed to be, if the patient can walk, they can get a bus. With my mum's age, and her current health, this attitude needs to be rethought. I've already told them, if my mum collapses again, after trying to get home on buses, I will make a formal complaint at the highest level.