"Ward experience after cardiac surgery and discharge"

My spouse was an inpatient for cardiothoracic surgery and pre-op was very positive, surgery went well and ICU gave superb care.

Transfer to the ward was fine overall.

However, I felt we were abandoned on discharge day. It was a public holiday. It looked like less staff were on duty this day.

After the doctors had been and discharge officially declared on the day, we set out to organise pick up from the hospital, at 11.00 am as stated in the "booklet". We were told the pharmacy would soon organise the list of medication and we would be on our way home.

We remained in the ward, waiting, hour after hour,  In short, after being told any time now, eventually after 4.5 hours we saw the pharmacist (who seemed run off their feet) with the list of the medicines to purchase. We were not given any medication to take home and some were needed that evening and the next morning, so we had to struggle to find a pharmacy open on a public holiday and have the patient waiting in the car while we waited for the prescriptions to be filled.

To get any medication from the hospital, I believe we would have had to wait at least another hour, and given the pharmacist was so busy on the day, I believe it would have been a very long wait in the ward. 

In the booklet "Before and after cardiac surgery", on page 27, it states...

On discharge you will be given:

-  a follow-up appointment with your cardiologist

-  a supply of the medications you are now taking.

Neither of the above were given and we have no idea yet when the cardiology appointment will take place, as two weeks after surgery it has not been organised.

In short, I am sad that we felt we were left unattended during and after discharge. 

This is my opinion and the patient is not expressing their thoughts on this.

I believe it would be nice to feel comforted at the time of discharge, given the encouragement to face recovery at home. I believe the staff can do better.