"Patient transfer services"

My grandchild was transferred to Yorkhill at birth & had 4 operations, 2 of them major in the first 3 months of life. Care by staff was excellent and could not be faulted however when discharged at 3 months was taken by air ambulance to our local hospital while my daughter had to make her way by bus (the cheaper option) as we live some 3 hours away. It was disappointing after a long emotional time away from family & friends to leave the hospital separated from her baby.

At 5 months baby & family were back at the hospital having been transferred this time from Gt Ormond Street following further surgery. They were told at GOSH they could actually go to the hospital at home but Yorkhill had requested they go there as they wanted to observe the baby.

They arrived on the Wednesday & on the Friday my son in law & older grandchild returned home, mother & baby were told they had to stay until Monday. Not really sure why as up to this point none of the Doctors who had been responsible for her earlier care had been to see my grandchild.

I went to Glasgow on the Saturday to keep my daughter company over the weekend When we asked what the arrangements for transfer were, we were informed that baby was being discharged so it was no longer their responsibility.

We were completely taken aback by this. however since I was leaving on the Sunday we asked if they could leave so I could help with travel.

This was not possible, the sister informed us as the baby was far too complex a case to be discharged at a weekend she had to be seen by a Doctor before leaving on Monday!

I have no dispute with the ward sister's view that my grandchild's case was complex, what I do dispute is that after 4 weeks in hospital, an unnecessary stop off at Yorkhill where no one did anything of note, this complex case was expected to get home either by bus or train, with their mother, a suitcase case 2 bags a buggy & attached to a breathing monitor!

I'm sorry but I think that is completely irresponsible & lacking in care. In the end I stayed off work the next day so that I could remain in Glasgow to accompany them home. The sister assured us we would be given priority & meds etc would be ready, that didn't happen, we missed 2 trains hanging about waiting for things to happen, no one came near to speed things up at all.

The irony of this is that we have fundraised for the hospital.

While the fact remains the skill & dedication of the teams in ITC & HDU are exceptional, our experience of the staff in ward 5a soured this somewhat.

If however this is hospital policy then it requires serious thought because as a parent even of a grown child I was not prepared to allow her journey of 5. 5 months with a seriously ill baby to end in such a thoughtless manner.