"Appalling discharge arrangements from Royal Gwent Hospital"

My 78 year old mother was admitted on Boxing Day having collapsed at home with severe leg pain.

When she was finally admitted to the ward B4 west medical, they were trying all kinds of different tablets to help with the pain. She was having physio of how to use a zimmer frame & crutches, which she is having trouble using due to her other ailments that she has.

I spoke the doctor a few days ago & asked for advice on how to get help at home & was told that I would have to get in touch with social services & her doctor to chase up getting adaptations for her flat etc. I also asked when they thought she would be sent home & they couldn’t foresee it being this week. I also asked that any more information would they please contact me as I have 2 jobs & need to get any provisions in place to have time off. They assured me this would happen.

The next day my mother phoned me from the hospital to tell me she might be going home that day or Friday! Then she was told it would be Thursday, then she was told it wouldn’t be Thursday because they hadn’t got her medication ready. She was then told that it would be Friday. We had terrible snow on Friday & she was told it wouldn’t be likely that she would be sent home due to the weather & conditions on the road.

That afternoon they decided to send her home by ambulance with no warm clothing & did not give her any chance to contact me. For 'health & safety reasons' they could not wheel her into the property, which has 12 concrete steps to get down to so my mother was made to walk, in her pyjamas, in the snow, to her home.

She cannot use her right leg properly due to the pain & weakness of it & she had to walk.

At 1730 she rang me at home, who was stuck at home & couldn’t get out, in floods of tears, clearly distressed by the ordeal. Her pyjamas were soaking wet & she was cold to say the least.

This is an absolute atrocious way to treat an elderly lady who has worked very hard all her life.

This should not have happened & I will be making a severe complaint to the relevant authorities.