Leaving hospital during COVID-19
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Healthwatch Cambspboro undertook research on people’s experiences of hospital discharge during the Covid-19 pandemic. They spoke to 35 people about their experiences of leaving hospital.
Around one in five patients were not told they would get support from health or social care services after leaving hospital. Nearly two in three people were not given information about who to contact if they needed further health advice or support after leaving hospital. Only one in five people were given information about voluntary sector support which could help them after they left hospital.
Three in four people said they definitely felt prepared to leave hospital or felt prepared to leave to some extent. Nearly three in four people discussed where they were being discharged to and went to the place they wanted to go to. Most people were positive about the care put in place.
Just over one in three people said they waited more than 24- hours. The main reason for people waiting longer was waiting for transport arrangements, although some people experienced multiple reasons for delay. Some patients felt they did not have suitable equipment for use at home or knew how to use it correctly.
There were 10 recommendations to ensure that people get the support they need when they leave hospital.