"Problems getting home from Northern General hospital"

I received treatment at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield recently. I went to the Accident & Emergency unit because I was in a lot of pain.

Before this my wife had rung the after hours doctors and told them I was in a great deal of pain. I had recently had a biopsy on my bladder at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. The doctor thought that I should be seen at the Accident & Emergency department, this was at midnight on the Saturday. I was taken in by ambulance, given some anaesthetic gel and pain killers, at 5.30am on Sunday morning I was told that I could go home, but would have to make my own way. When I asked how, they told me to go by bus. I was in my pajamas and dressing gown and it was a quarter of a mile to the bus stop and pouring with rain. I expressed my anger at this and they said they would ring for a taxi and as I had no money on me said I could pay when I got home. They also rang my wife and told her to have the taxi fee ready. We are both 80 years of age.

Later I rang the hospital complaints, they were as bad as the staff at the hospital by saying there was another option, that I could have been given which was to ring my wife and for her to bring me rain wear and wellingtons, this was too much and I hung up the phone. Also, there are no buses at 5.30am on a Sunday for me and my wife from home. I think that they could have been more caring.