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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Anger at woman's transfer ordeal | Anger at woman's transfer ordeal |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| A call has been made for more funding to be put into patient transport after the transfer of a 94-year-old woman between two hospitals took eight hours. | A call has been made for more funding to be put into patient transport after the transfer of a 94-year-old woman between two hospitals took eight hours. |
| Violet Lunan was being transferred from Inverness to Golspie 50 miles away. | Violet Lunan was being transferred from Inverness to Golspie 50 miles away. |
| Her family were angry she was left in Raigmore hospital's discharge lounge for five hours and then had a three-hour journey in a minibus. | |
| The Scottish Ambulance Service said it provided the type of transport requested by the hospital. | The Scottish Ambulance Service said it provided the type of transport requested by the hospital. |
| An ambulance spokesman also said the patient pick-up was made within the specified timescale. | An ambulance spokesman also said the patient pick-up was made within the specified timescale. |
| NHS Highland invited the family to get in touch so it could investigate their complaint. | |
| Mrs Lunan's daughter Mary Goulder said she had expected her mother, who had been treated for pneumonia and a fractured pelvis and elbow, to be taken in an ambulance to Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie. | Mrs Lunan's daughter Mary Goulder said she had expected her mother, who had been treated for pneumonia and a fractured pelvis and elbow, to be taken in an ambulance to Lawson Memorial Hospital in Golspie. |
| Mrs Goulder said she had no complaint about the care her mother received in hospital. | Mrs Goulder said she had no complaint about the care her mother received in hospital. |
| Trained staff | |
| She questioned whether the ambulance service had the right priorities for its spending and whether it was not being given enough money by the government. | |
| "Questions have to be asked," she said. | "Questions have to be asked," she said. |
| NHS Highland said its policy was to move patients who were awaiting transfer and who met certain criteria to the discharge lounge. | |
| A spokeswoman said: "Those not meeting the criteria are kept on the ward until transport arrives. | |
| "The discharge lounge is manned by trained nursing staff and nursing auxiliaries. Refreshments are also made available." |