"A&E"

My grandfather attended via ambulance last monday evening, following a call to NHS 111 due to severe abdominal pain. He was asked to wait in the waiting room for 3 1\2 hours which he understood and was not unhappy about. He was treated, they diagnosed a hernia and advised him to return to his gp for further treatment. He was happy with every interaction with all staff and the way he was treated. Unfortunately when he was discharged at 1am on Tueday morning, he was given no idea how to get home. He is in his 80s, lives alone and was in severe pain. He was also in his pyjamas. He happened to have some money in his pocket and rang a taxi but had been given no advice and nobody has expressed any interest in how he would get home. He found himself alone with nobody avilable to ask. In the end a fellow patient showed him a taxi freephone. I am unsure whether there was a procedure that wasn't followed or whether it is hospital policy that no heed is paid to how a patient will get home. I would be interested to hear some feedback on the policy of this trust regarding discharge from a&e. Particularly of vulnerable people. Thanks