"Discharged from hospital at 05:00am"

One night in mid December 2011 at 11pm, I had to call NHS Direct as I was having severe pains in the top half of my back, on the left side. The nurse called me straight back and as I was gasping in pain she called an ambulance for me because she was not sure if I was having a heart attack, I am 65. When the ambulance people arrived they took my stats and said even without the pain they would need to admit me to hospital as my sugar levels were through the roof. My nearest A & E was closed as the new hospital is being built at Southmead in Bristol. The ambulance crew took me to Frenchay hospital at midnight, a far distance from where I live in Bishopston, Bristol.

The nurse was excellent she looked after me and took my stats and gave me a morphine injection for the pain and carried out other investigations. I had been diagnosed by Lloyds Pharmacy in the October of 2011 as being diabetic, with very high blood pressure and cholestrol. By December my doctor was trying to get these factors under control. As it turned out I had a urinary tract infection probably due to the diabetes and the nurse gave me antibiotics for the infection.

I was completely taken by surprise when I was told at 4.30am that I could now go home. I explained that I had not brought any money with me and it was a good job, I had the presence of mind to get dressed before I left home. The nurse walked me through corridors at Frenchay to get to the ATM machine for cash for a taxi. I said to her should I take out £10.00 but she said no I would need more for the taxi, so I took out £20. On the minimum state pension this is a lot of money.

I went to the reception area and called a taxi to take me home by this time it was 5am and I just wanted to get home and sleep as I was knocked out with the morphine injectiion.My daughter was very cross that I had not called her for assistance but she has to work and needs a lot of focus in her job. I know she would have stayed with me in the hospital all night and then would have carried on to work. This is no good for her health. She could not believe that the NHS would discharge a patient at 5am in the morning who was taking into hospital because she was suspected of having a heart attack. To add I have lost 4 brothers at the ages of 60, 65, 65,and 66.

Once again thank you for raising this issue, the taxi fare home cost me £13.00, therefore I was pleased with nurse who told me to take out at least £20.00 for the fare home.