"Must be a safer way to get patients to their taxis"

My mother, aged 88 years, attended the hospital for a follow up appointment and had removal of a suture. I was in attendance.

She is hard if hearing and uses a hearing aid, has recently had bilateral cataract operations and is recovering from a compound fracture of femur. She recently had excision of a large lesion on her face at GRI. My mother uses a rollator to assist with walking.

Following the visit to the Plastic Surgery Outpatient, I asked at the desk if there was a taxi number available so that I could escort my mother home. The clerk on the desk telephoned for a taxi and advised that we had to walk down Castle Street to the Gate House where the taxi would pick us up. It was raining heavily and very windy. Shortly before we approached the Gate House entrance my mother had a fall and has injured her knee. We were assisted into the building by a passing ambulance driver.

Surely, there must be a better and more patient friendly method of making sure that elderly patients get to their transport safely.