"Dismissal from the Scottish Ambulance Service"

I spoke to the ambulance service to arrange hospital transport for myself to get to an appoint in Glasgow. I was discharged yesterday from Crosshouse Hospital after 5 weeks in the high dependency unit and then on ward 5D. Back at home I was catching up with letters and realised I had an appointment in Glasgow. Uptil now my husband has always taken the time off work to take me for my hospital appointments, however after 5 weeks in hospital and all the pressure this placed on his time, I decided to use the hospital transport service. The person who answered the phone was lovely and booked transport for me.

shortly after this this I realised I also had an appointment to attend Ayr Hospital and called the ambulance service to arrange transport for this appointment also. This time the person who answered went through a list of questions and decided that as I was independent mobile I did not qualify for hospital transport. there were no questions to check what  level of mobility I had or my recent medical circumstances. I am anaemic, have a partially collapsed lung and have epilepsy.

Just to explain, I do consider myself to be independently mobile but this is for getting around the house and for short distances. Also, with recent health problems I now feel less confident travelling alone just in case anything happens. I didn't even feel confident being taken to the hospital by my husband in case I had an epileptic fit, my condition is less stable, and having an ambulance crew on hand would help to ease my concerns.

I was not given the opportunity to explain my circumstances. When I said I had booked an ambulance for an appointment at the Glasgow hospital the person on the phone went off to talk to a supervisor and came back to let me know that the transport should not have been booked for me  but that they would honour it on this occasion, transport to Ayr would not be available to me.

I fully understand the pressure on the hospital transport service, in all these years we have never used it, at a time when I really feel I need it it is denied.