Ambulance Trust explains position on patient transport
The Welsh Ambulance Trust has explained why it was unable to help out in getting a disabled man back to his home in Shropshire on a Sunday.
Roger Whitting was discharged from Wrexham Maelor Hospital the day after being rushed into the accident and emergency department amid fears he had suffered a stroke.
After a night in hospital he was declared fit to go home to Oswestry. Because of his spine injury he needed ambulance transport home. But, because his discharge was on a Sunday, red tape meant there was no ambulance available.
Problems arose because Mr Whitting, 61, was in hospital in Wales, but lives across the border in England and has an English GP.
It took until the Tuesday for the matter to be resolved and for Mr Whitting to get home.
Welsh Ambulance Service Trust has now released a statement saying that it is not commissioned by the Betsi Cadwalladr University Health Board to provide discharge services from Wrexham on a Sunday.
It also says it was for Mr Whitting's home health group to make the arrangements.
"The patient is a Shropshire resident and is registered with an English GP," the statement says.
"Shropshire Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for commissioning Mr Whitting’s Transport.
"Shropshire CCG were unable accommodate the request in a timely manner so BCUHB commissioned WAST to undertake the journey."
Shropshire CCG says it has taken steps to ensure Wrexham Maelor Hospital was reminded of the process for non-emergency patient transport needs for Shropshire patients.
Dr Julie Davies, director of performance and delivery at Shropshire CCG, said: “We are sorry that this patient experienced a delay in getting home from hospital as Shropshire CCG has arrangements in place for this type of non-emergency patient transport service.
“Wrexham Maelor Hospital should have contacted the Welsh Ambulance Service to collect the patient and then it would have simply been a case that the CCG would be recharged for the journey and would pay the associated bill.
"If the Welsh Ambulance Service were unable to take the patient home, then Wrexham Maelor Hospital should have contacted Falck, which is the non-emergency patient transport service provider for Shropshire patients."
Mr Whitting said that the English Welsh border should not serve as a barrier for health. He is full of praise for the care he received from ambulance staff and staff at the hospital.
