"Discharge procedure"

From a relatives perspective - 

My husband was admitted to the emergency surgery Ward. His initial care was very good and the team involved were very supportive, however come the next day it was clear that they wanted him out of the bed to make way for other patients. It is understandable that it is a busy Ward and there needs to be a good discharge rate daily to make way for coming patients however the way in which this was executed was extremely distressing to watch. My husband was made to move from his bed to a day room which had chairs and a small sofa only and was extemely warm. Because of the nature of his surgery he was unable to sit on the chairs and ended up in a very awkward position on the small sofa, where he was to spend the next 4 hours. He was clearly in a lot of discomfort and not ready to have been moved from a bed. In this room there would have been no way for him to buzz for help (given that the only buzzer is by the door) and when I asked for a fan for him one did not materialise (in fact I was told the nurse would ‘have to search’ for one). It was extremely distressing that my husband was held in this room and not offered a more comfortable place to wait until he was well enough to leave. I understand that the beds on that Ward were needed by others but there has to be a better way than effectively ‘dumping’ patients in a room all together until you’re ready to discharge them. Very disappointed after initially being pleased with the care given. Communication between doctors/nurses/patients seems to be a real issue, often it seemed that medicines were given or not given without any explanation at all (for example a nurse handed him a cup with a pill in it and said it was the antibiotic... we hadn’t even been told he was getting one or what it was for!).

From a relatives point of view it has been an upsetting experience and one which I hope will not be repeated.