Experiences of hospital discharge in Sheffield
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Between January and April 2026, Healthwatch Sheffield visited six residential living facilities and heard from 29 people who had recently been in hospital. They wanted to ensure that this group's voices were heard in ongoing work to improve experiences of hospital discharge - the process of leaving hospital once you no longer need hospital care.
Hospital discharge is a priority for Sheffield's local health and social care system, and NHS England have recently published a model discharge pathway, outlining the principles of discharge and how patients and carers should be involved.
What did people say?
Healthwatch Sheffield found that people were not having consistent experiences of hospital discharge, and were not always involved in decisions:
- Most people felt extremely positively about the care they received while in hospital, as well as the support they receive from their care home/Extra Care setting and their GP.
- There was a great deal of inconsistency in whether people felt involved in discussions and decision-making, both in relation to their care and treatment, and the discharge process.
- People weren’t consistently informed about what was going to happen after they left hospital.
- People whose families/carers could be involved, take an active part in decision-making, and advocate for them if necessary, generally had a better experience than those who didn’t.
- For people who were being discharged back to a care setting they already lived in, there could be additional confusion around what care was being put in place directly due to their stay in hospital; this does not help to empower people to play an active role in their own care.
What next?
Principles of good practice are already embedded in discharge policies and procedures, so the focus needs to be on ensuring these are applied consistently. Healthwatch Sheffield have shared this briefing with those working on hospital discharge locally, within Sheffield Teaching Hospitals and Sheffield City Council, and asking them how they can ensure people are involved and listened to in work to make improvements.