Do people feel involved in decisions about patient discharge in Birmingham?

Healthwatch Birmingham undertook research on patients' and families' involvement in the hospital discharge process, including any positive and negative aspects of their involvement and what changes can be made to improve the experience. Data were collected via a survey and interviews. A total of 248 people completed a survey, six of whom also completed an interview.

The report found that involvement wasn’t always prioritised and that patients, their families and carers weren’t always consulted in discharge planning. This meant that most participants felt unprepared for discharge, and the aftercare provided did not meet their needs. Discharge was often short notice, rushed and poorly planned, with patients and their families/carers feeling this was driven by a shortage of beds.

Key areas for improvement included: clearer explanations of the complexities of discharge, improved communication and the information provided at the time of discharge, the use of a discharge checklist to aid decision making, and improving internal hospital processes that delay discharge.