Hospital discharge - What happens when they come out?

In 2021, Healthwatch Lambeth was approached by Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust (GSST) and King’s College (KCH) hospitals to speak to patients with recent experience of the discharge process. Both hospital trusts had used learning from previous Healthwatch engagement and made changes to the discharge process. The aim of this project was to gain insight into how these changes have impacted on patient experiences and the factors shaping patient perspectives.

Healthwatch Lambeth conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 recent patients and their family members/carer. Finding show that patients have mixed experiences in terms of the coordination and communication they received before, during and after their discharge. This was due to a range of factors including the importance and impact of unpaid carers, their familiarity with hospital processes, their capacity to navigate the system and the strength of their relationship to the health and care system in general. Those who were most vulnerable and had the least support faced the toughest challenges.

Communication and inclusion was found to be one of the most important aspects of the process. The ability to ask questions, request relevant information and challenge decision were all significant factors in people’s feelings about discharge and how prepared people felt to leave. The case studies highlight examples of participants who had positive feedback despite experiencing disruption e, because of the way hospital staff responded and communicated when delays could not be avoided.

The report contains many recommendations, covering planning for discharge, the day itself, and aftercare.