"Elderly relative discharged at weekend"

My elderly uncle was in the Western General in Edinburgh for most of this last week. Admitted because of blood test results. He lives alone, has blepheritis which causes him some distress - he also has mental health and other long term problems/issues including prostate (has been sent home with a catheter) and he has osteo-athritis.

I am his next of kin, and have power of attorney for him - and I live an hour and half's drive away. I rang the hospital every day and asked that I be called if he was to be discharged over the weekend so that I could go up and see him settled back and get him some basic foodstuffs.

He has a home-help for two hours every Tuesday which he pays for himself as he didn't want any Social Work interference and didn't want different people coming in and out daily. He is far from well off but manages to pay for this.

I was not called and the first I knew he was home was when he called my mobile and left a message this afternoon. There was nothing I could do today. I will go tomorrow with basic supplies for him. He had no milk or bread and most of the food in his fridge had gone off. Goodness knows what he had to eat and drink today.

When I phoned and asked about the lack of phonecall and the catheter I was told they had been too busy to phone me and that he had had the"education" for dealing with the catheter and seemed to manage!

I am absolutely disgusted. They kept assuming he had a big "package of care" which he does not. Seriously someone in their 80s with multiple issues and a painful eye condition etc! Putting an old man out not knowing if he will eat? Assume he will manage the catheter? Is this what the NHS has come to?