Joining up for hospital discharge

Healthwatch Derbyshire followed up their 2023 report on hospital discharge.  They spoke to 100 people.

Key findings

• Patients and families often felt confused when information isn’t explained clearly, making it harder to make informed choices
• Overloading people with information at the wrong time made it hard to focus on what matters most
• People said it is a confusing time, and they didn’t always know where to go to find clear information and help
• When health, social care, pharmacy and patient transport don’t work well together, discharge is delayed
• People with limited English, memory or learning difficulties may not fully understand their care or the information given, leading to poor choices and less support
• Many people don’t get the support they need to understand health information. Some staff may not have had clear conversations and health literacy training
• Being inactive in hospital can weaken muscles, making it harder to recover and live independently after leaving the hospital.
• There wasn’t enough information from patients about their experiences when leaving the hospital. This includes demographic information about different groups, such as people who don’t speak English as their first language, people with learning disabilities, and those with long-term conditions.