"Collection of my wife from hospital"

I was called by my wife to collect her from the discharge lounge. She did not know where this was. It did not matter as I could find it on the map. Oh no it's not marked on your map? I made my way down to the hospital. We are not from Derby and do not come to the hospital that often. My wife had a knee replacement so I needed wheelchair access. When I approached the hospital it was absolute chaos. The whole front road was gridlocked. Where was traffic control? It was about 2pm. It took me over 30 minutes to get from the main entrance to park in car park 5. It was the only space available.

When I eventually found the discharge lounge it seemed like patients are just dumped here. It was utter chaos at best. There was no dignity for them. My wife was sat looking quite forlorne.

When I approached the checkout desk they were busy. One ambulance man kept repeating to the sister that he had to be at Abbingdon hospital by 3pm it was 2. 40. A senior member of staff was busy with a lady they obviously knew. Can you guess what the member of staff was busy doing keeping people waiting. No you are wrong. The member of staff was helping a person apply for a job! ! !

I looked around and thought I was stood in a sorting office. If this is what passes a good patient treatment I am ashamed to be human.

I will say that the health care assistants were attempting to look after the patients. I now had to get my wife from here to car park 5. Who thought in their wisdom to place a discharge ward here. What was going through the minds of the many high paid personnel when they brainstormed this concept. They obviously didn't think to give the patient any information on how they were to be collected OR bother to provide a sky lift for their vehicle.

How was I going to get my wife who is now in a wheelchair to the car park. I ended up having to leave her in the children's outpatient department. Drive down to the children's area. This is also just embarrassing as my wife was in her pyjamas. Also the area was in utter disarray. There was building work with very little activity. No parking. I had to wait for a space as they were all officially disabled or taxi rank spaces. My wife was nearly in tears by this time. She felt completely abandoned by the hospital as did I. I eventually got her home by 4. 30pm 2 1/2 hours after I had arrived. My home is around 25 minutes away.

The care she received on the ward was ok. The food was disgusting and no one she spoke to liked the food. What is happening to this once respectful establishment. I for one hope I will never never go here as long as I live.