A Glasgow hospital has spent tens of thousands on taxis to deliver medicine and ­paperwork to patients, it has been revealed. 

Insiders have said when someone is discharged from Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, their prescriptions and ­paperwork are not ready before transport arrives to take them home, meaning they are sent home by ambulance and their paperwork or medication follows later by taxi.

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(Image: Image from Newsquest)

According to the Daily Record, an ambulance insider put in a freedom of information request after being annoyed by the "complete waste of money."

He told the Record: "The hospital wards routinely send medications and paperwork out by taxi after a patient has left the ward – I wish to establish how much money has been spent on this."

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The FOI revealed there has been a steady increase in the number of prescriptions sent out by ambulance since 2021.

The total bill from 2020 to May this year for delivering ­paperwork to patients by the same method is £5139.10 - which brings the combined taxi bill to £48,373.87.

However, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde have said such transport is only used in exceptional circumstances. 

A spokesperson said: "The transport of items mentioned are in exceptional circumstances and are relative to the volume of discharges across GGC."