"Lack of transport assistance"

I was recently a patient at the Sydney Eye Hospital and shared a room with an elderly person from the country. They were flown to Sydney with Care Flight with an eye infection which caused minimal vision. I believe they also had limited vision in their other eye. Their discharge took days to manage and I witnessed them be told something different from each shift about how they would return home. I too have been flown to Sydney in an emergency and understand why it is that they had hardly any clothes, no loved ones nearby, no mobile phone, no wallet etc.  

What upset me the most was that what the elderly patient was told did not eventuate. They were told that a nurse would take them in a taxi to the train station at central and put them into their carriage but I believe this didn't happen.  I believe this patient was called a taxi and the nurse put them in at the hospital. This poor person had to find the train themselves (they are from a small country town and I believe is not a frequent user of public transport) with limited vision. Another patient and I had to assist them with providing a bag, water and food for the 6 hours long journey. They were told at Tamworth that patient transport in an ambulance or a return flight would be arranged.

I appreciate and understand that the poor nurses are busy enough without having to arrange transport but I feel this elderly person was not provided the respect or level or care I would expect our health department to provide.