The hospital discharge survey

Healthwatch WAM and collaborating local Healthwatch from other areas carried out a survey in hospital discharge practise to identify:

Whether patients experience delays in their discharge from hospital,

whether patients feel involved in the decisions made about their discharge,

whether patients feel that their discharge plan is tailored to their needs,

whether patients are receiving the services that they need following their discharge,

and whether patients feel that their discharge from hospital could be improved.

The following key findings were found:

The majority of respondents reported that they felt involved in decisions about their discharge and that a discharge plan was made with them and/or their family

The majority of respondents felt that their discharge plan generally met their needs. However, a minority said that hospital staff did not discuss with them whether they needed any further health or social care services after leaving hospital.

61% of respondents reported that their discharge was delayed, most commonly waiting for medication. Most commonly, respondents reported that the delay was between 2 and 4 hours’.

The majority of respondents reported that they felt that they were treated with dignity and respect during their stay in hospital, and that a member of staff explained the purpose of the medicines they were taking home in a way that they could understand. However, many respondents reported that they had to repeat their medical history several times.

• 15.5% of respondents reported that when they left hospital, they did not know what would happen next with their care. 22.4% of respondents who required further services following their discharge said that they did not get the planned services. Of the respondents who did receive planned services, about half said they were satisfactory, but about half said that they needed ongoing support but that this was not happening.

Based on the key findings the following recommendations have been made:

• Hospitals should consider reviewing their methods of record keeping to prevent patients from having to repeat their medical history to hospital staff.

• Hospitals should consider reviewing the way in which they are providing medicine to patients upon discharge, with the aim of discharging patients in a more timely fashion.

• Hospital staff should discuss with all patients, as appropriate, the need for health and social care services after leaving hospital.

• Hospital staff should communicate to all patients their care plan, including any services that they may expect to receive and any services that may not be provided, and ensure that this information has been understood.