People's experience of leaving Worcestershire hospitals during Covid-19
Download (PDF 609.66 KB)Summary of report content
Healthwatch Worcestershire wanted to understand how hospital discharge in Worcestershire is working from a patient and carer’s perspective. Through 127 Survey responses and 15 qualitative interviews, Healthwatch Worcestershire gathered the views of 142 patients and carers who had experienced a discharge from a Worcestershire hospital between March 2020 and April 2021. They interviewed 5 care providers and 24 NHS and social care staff.
Key Findings:
- To thirds of survey respondents did not receive written information about the new discharge process during their hospital stay.
- Some patients felt that their discharge from hospital was rushed; nearly one in three (29%) people felt they were not prepared to leave. Over half (56%) of people who said they had a significantly worse experience of leaving hospital than they had previously, felt that they were not prepared to leave hospital.
- 37% of respondents waited over 4 hours to leave hospital, and of these, 8% waited over 8 hours. The two main reasons for waiting, across both acute hospitals, were for transport arrangements and medication.
- 53% of respondents to the survey were not given information about who to contact if they needed further health advice or support after leaving hospital, despite the national guidance stating this should happen.
Healthwatch Worcestershire made a number of recommendations in this report.