Source · SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman)

Scottish Ambulance Service

SPSO (Scottish Public Services Ombudsman) Not Upheld Reference 201502258 Sector Health Category admission / discharge / transfer procedures Decided 01 January 2016

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Full decision

Summary

Ms C complained on behalf of her father (Mr A) about a delay in transferring him home from hospital. Ms C complained that the ambulance service had not taken reasonable steps to ensure they could transfer Mr A home.

The transfer was booked by staff on the hospital ward. They advised the ambulance service that, if there were any steps at Mr A's home, they believed Mr A would be able to move from a stretcher to a wheelchair. When the crew arrived, they found that Mr A would not be able to do this and they cancelled the transfer.

We found this was a reasonable decision to have made, ensuring the safety of both the patient and the crew. Therefore, we did not uphold the complaint.

Related reading

View Decision Report 201502258 as a PDF (10.91 KB) Updated: March 13, 2018

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