"Problems with discharge from Lincoln County Hospital"

A huge thank you to paramedic and ambulance staff on Saturday.

Made me feel very well cared for and safe.

A huge thank you to all staff in A&E, S.E.A.U. and then Greetwell Ward. All the staff from the Consultants right down to the cleaners were fantastic. They explained everything and gave me reassurance all the time.

The food was good and there was choice.

I was told I could go home on Tuesday. That was when everything went wrong. There was no communication between Drs, nurses, pharmacists and me.

I had to repeated ask for medication to be found and then I was transferred to The Discharge Lounge.

This was a nightmare! I was only there 3 hours! It was total chaos, the nurse in charge tried her best but we were all held there for an extremely long time. Having just been a patient and then being told you could go home to then have to sit and wait for an absolute age is totally unacceptable. We are people who have been ill and and recovering and should not have to have stress.

The system does not seem to work, I assumed that the idea of The Discharge Lounge was to make that part of your stay in hospital to go smoothly - it does not work, it certainly needs reassessing. It is stressful for the patient as well as the loved ones who have come to collect us and hoping that there would be minimal car park charges - wrong - I don't mind paying if I am getting a service but that did not happen. Instead of leaving the ward at 2.30 pm and expecting to be home by 3. 15 at the latest it was 6.45 pm when I arrived home. I was tired because I had been ill but exhausted and frustrated at all the time wasted.