Frank Glennon, 77, was forced to sit on a dickie seat in a “glorified taxi”, hanging on to a door strap, for most of the journey just 10 days after his massive operation.

The Albury man had his aortic valve replaced and five bypasses in the surgery that also “cracked open” his rib cage.

The former sales representative had only his pyjamas, slippers and a dressing gown for the 250-kilometre safari from St Vincent’s Private in Melbourne.

Mr Glennon was forced to change vehicles in Seymour and says that laying down for the last leg of the journey was out of the question because he was simply too tall for the bed.

Ambulance Victoria, already under siege for a lack of ambulances and staff which has led to several complaints from North East patients recently, is investigating the incident but says emergency cases took priority on the day.

Less than three weeks after the horror ride, Mr Glennon already has the $1279 bill.

“It would not have been so bad had it been a proper ambulance,” he said.

“But I was sitting on a dickie seat and holding on to the strap for dear life.

“I want an apology and an explanation of how and why this happened,” Mr Glennon said.

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