TWO ‘heroic’ bus drivers have been thanked by the family of a Clevedon pensioner who was allowed to travel for free after being ‘pushed out the door’ by hospital staff.

Graham Menear, aged 73, was taken to Weston General Hospital after collapsing in Clevedon but was discharged without his family members being told. He was allowed to leave without having any money on him and despite having a history of memory problems and panic attacks.

His 39-year-old son Karl criticised hospital staff for their lack of common sense.

He said: “Dad knows where his daughter works in Weston and knows I work at Puxton Park, yet no attempt was made to contact any member of the family.

“He was just pushed out the door.

“They call themselves an NHS trust and say they are caring, but obviously they aren’t. It’s another sham.”

Although critical of the hospital’s discharge procedure, Karl was full of praise for the bus drivers who helped his father get back safely to his home in Ilex Avenue.

He said: “I wish I could find out the names of the two drivers. They are heroes in my eyes.

“A Weston bus driver on a local route very kindly took my dad to the town centre without charge after hearing what happened and, to top that, a main line bus driver then took him all the way back to Clevedon.

“They are two fantastic individuals and they showed more care and compassion than a whole hospital full of so-called people who work in the care industry.”

A Weston Area Health Trust spokesman said it would be happy to talk to the family if an official complaint is lodged.

She said: “Discharge is an important focus of our improvement programme and we are disappointed if a patient feels it has not gone well and we would like to learn from their experience.”