"Poor discharge process"

My husband suffers from severe chronic pain, together with meniers disease which affects his balance and means he is deaf in one ear. He therefore finds all transport difficult but especially busses. When he was transferred by patient transport to hospital at the request of the practice nurse who visited him at home I explicitly asked the ambulance staff if there would be a way to get him home again as we do not have family nearby and he would be too unwell to travel by bus. I was assured that the ward would be able to call for a patient transfer home. My husband did not want to go into hospital but was reassured by this. Later the same day my husband was discharged and told to make his own way home by bus as patient transfer was closed and this is not something they arrange unless it’s to a care home. I phoned the Scottish ambulance service and was told this this is not true, the ward could arrange him transport as part of his discharge. I am appalled that the staff thought it would be appropriate to send him on public transport alone and think that surely something needs to be in place past 5pm. I am well aware that services are stretched and that staff are under pressure but nothing feels very ‘caring’ about this patient care and I’m extremely upset by it.

A word about the Scottish ambulance service - superstars! Every encounter I’ve had with them on the phone they’ve been lovely and the men transferring my husband today were so friendly and kind.