"East Surrey Hospital - Social Services Team (SASH) "

If SASH want to discharge ill, frail, old people to go back to their own homes, the least they could is make it possible for next of kin to discuss the matter. After being phoned with the information that my elderly relative was due to be discharged, I was very concerned. She was still extremely unwell and would have been unsafe at her home and I was aware that the SASH measures for independent living are a) being able to climb 3 steps and b) being able to make a cup of tea.

I called back six times over the course of two hours and got no reply. When I managed to get through on a different number, I was told that the person responsible was out and that no one else could deal with it. As I have a business to run and can't spend all day phoning SASH, I requested an email address. Seemed perfectly reasonable to me, but no! After hearing much muttering and whispered asides, I was told that it is:

"not company policy to release email addresses".

Excuse me? The NHS is a public service provided for by taxpayers’ money, it is not a “company” and this is 2011. In my opinion refusing to allow email as a form of communication, and running the sort of phone service that treats relatives of sick patients in the same way that banks , utility companies and large corporations treat their customers is a disgrace.

After insisting, I was given the Care Manager's email address. However it was wrong and the message bounced back. I then sent it to the generic email address, requesting that it be passed to her. No response, whatsoever. I have not heard from SASH either before her discharge, 7 days later, or since. So much for "social care".