Concerns have been raised for the welfare of elderly patients left on hospital trolleys for hours while they wait to be taken back to care homes.

A consultant at Ninewells in Dundee has said too many pensioners are taken to A & E at night when they could be treated in their care home by a nurse or GP.

Dr Bill Morrison said some spend several hours on trolleys while they wait for ambulances to take them home.

He said often the patient had been in hospital for a minor problem.

‘More humane’

A patient transport service does not run at Ninewells overnight so patients often have to be taken back to their care home by ambulance.

If the ambulance is at an emergency it can be some time before it can collect the patient, who could be admitted to a short-stay ward or put on a trolley.

Read full article: BBC NEWS.