Hospital Discharges During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Healthwatch Shropshire and Healthwatch Telford & Wrekin worked with the organisations involved in the Integrated Discharge Hub to create a survey that would be relevant locally and help them to evaluate the service. They designed a survey which was adapted from the national survey used by Healthwatch England and opened it to all patients discharged from hospital, not just to patients who were discharged under the new guidance into supported care pathways.

• They heard from a total of 50 people, including patients, carers, friends or relatives and paid care workers, and did not any issues specific to where someone lived.
• 68% did not receive this information and 16% (8 people) weren’t sure whether they or the patient had been given this information.
• 19% of those tested didn’t receive their results before being discharged, one of whom was discharged to a care home.
• 24% of respondents said that they/the patient had not been prepared to leave hospital when they were discharged – reasons included a lack of equipment, worry about support at home and failed discharges.
• 24% of people waited for more than 24 hours to be discharged after being told they were well enough to leave. 32% of patients had no conversation about support from health or social care after leaving hospital prior to being discharged.
• 42% of patients were not given information about who to contact if they needed further advice or support after leaving hospital.
• Although patients and carers or relatives felt that they had received good care from staff whilst in hospital and made to feel safe, they felt that aftercare could have been better, especially communication around discharge and after care.