"Unsafe discharge of the elderly late at night."

Last night my elderly husband was taken into hospital by ambulance sent by NHS 24. He has a perineal abscess which is being dressed daily by the district nurses. He has been bedridden for the past seven weeks because of this his legs are now very weak. He had a stroke just over two years ago which left him unable to use his left arm and very weak left leg. His abscess started to bleed heavily when his carer was getting him ready for bed last night and she advised me to phone nhs 24 for advice. They were very helpful, as usual, but were concerned that, as he takes blood thinning medication, he was in danger of a continuous overnight bleeding. They sent an ambulance to take him to Forth Valley Royal hospital. This was about 8. 30 in the evening. I was very tired that night and we decided there was no need for me to accompany my husband and I would probably collect him in the morning once the bleeding had stopped.

I went to bed only to be woken up about an hour later by A & E phoning to say my husband was being discharged and could I come to collect him. When I said I was in bed, the staff nurse said they would send him home in a taxi! I was astonished that they could even contemplate sending an elderly man who had no clothes on apart from a T shirt and socks and slippers in a taxi. She said they would put pyjama trousers on him. It was raining heavily, he had no coat, and is unable to walk up the drive to our home as it is uphill. He hasn't been out of bed for seven weeks, and they were throwing him out of hospital, late at night in unappropriate clothing. When I asked why they could not send him home in an ambulance, she told me there would be a four hour wait. That would have made it about three oclock in the morning! ! ! ! !

I had to get dressed and drive to the hospital for him. I am in my seventies and was very tired and is was a very stressful journey.

He was unable to walk and had to be brought out to my car in a wheelchair. The young nurse had to push him into the passenger seat with me pulling him from the driver's side. When we got home I had a terrible job trying to get him out of the car. When he did manage it, he was so unsteady on his feet, I thought he was going to fall. We eventually got home shortly before midnight.

What is going on at this hospital? Could they not have kept him in overnight and I would have collected him in the morning in the daylight, not late at night in the dark. My husband is in and out of hospital many times and I don't feel that he is ever properly looked after. If he has bother with the abscess bleeding again at night, I will certainly not allow him to be taken into hospital. If necessary I will clean him and try to dress it at home until the nurses come in the morning.