"Medicating, then discharging solo patients."

After attending my GP for a painful large raised lump in my abdomen, I was provided a letter for the emergency department and instructed to attend Fiona Stanley ED. 

After the obligatory 4-6 hour wait in the post triage waiting area, a nurse began taking obs of the waiting patients. My BP was eventually taken for the first time since my arrival hours before. It was high (~165/105) and I was taken through quite quickly. 

After an assessment due to high BP the doctor began to investigate the abdominal pain. 

I had been offered strong pain relief but had declined as I was alone, and would not be able to follow what going on whilst under the influence of the pain relief. 

The doctor asked if they could give me some analgesics because they felt that the required palpitations to properly examine me would be extremely painful if I hadn’t had any pain relief prior. 

I explained again my concerns around my ability to be cognisant after taking them but agreed to do the examination could occur. 

As expected the medication caused me to fall asleep. 

From what I can piece together, I remember being woken by a nurse firmly pressing the trouble area, and I remember answering some questions, but not what those questions were, or my answers as the medication was still affecting me. 

After a short while the nurse returned, removed my catheter, and told me something. I was heavily medicated so have no recollection of what I was told. 

I was then moved to an area with chairs only, like a storage area or a transit lounge. 

A nurse came in and told me I was being discharged. I asked to speak to the doctor again as I had questions. The nurse and returned shortly and informed me that the doctor would not be coming back to speak to me, and that I was being discharged. 

I was still drowsy and confused from the opiod based medication I had taken. 

I woke up at home the next morning having driven home, something I believe the staff who discharged me knew that was my only way home. 

I have no recollection of the drive home. 

Surely there is a duty of care the hospital is bound by that prevents a) providing instruction or medical guidance to a patient who is under the effects of medication, and b) discharging a heavily medicated self driving solo patient who is most likely going to head straight to their car. 

Maybe they told me I can’t or shouldn’t drive, I don’t know, I was too heavily medicated with drugs I’d outlined I didn’t really want to take, for the exact reason I’m writing this. 

It feels negligent to me. I could’ve killed someone else or myself driving home.