People's experiences of leaving hospital in Blackburn with Darwen

Healthwatch Blackburn with Darwen wanted to feed into local work to improve the experience of hospital discharge.  They ran a survey to which 111 people responded.

Overall, residents’ experiences of planning for hospital discharge, either as the patient or as a carer, are not consistent, ranging from very good to poor. Whilst some patients experienced effective communication and support at the point of discharge, this varied a great deal. Two thirds of carers did not feel that their needs as carers were taken into consideration as part of the discharge planning process. The wider needs of vulnerable adults were also not always considered as part of the discharge process. 

Most patients felt that they were ready to leave hospital at the point of discharge, however some were not due to either their home situation or care package not yet put in place. A third of respondents felt that, where their loved one did not have capacity or had fluctuating capacity, actions were not necessarily taken in the best interests of the individual. Carers felt that their loved one’s ability to cope when home was not fully considered in the discharge planning process. The majority of respondents, however, felt that they were discharged to the best place for their recovery. 

70% of respondents felt that the discharge process went smoothly and that they were informed of the time and date of their discharge. However, some patients experienced rushed last-minute discharges from hospital. Most patients had a package of care on a timely basis, however those who did not felt that they had to push for support. 

Overriding feedback from respondents was that the setting to which they were discharged was most appropriate for their needs and the majority of respondents were happy with the care received. Most people felt that they were supported to regain their independence, however those who did not, felt isolated with lack of support and some experienced delays in provision of equipment and adaptations to their home.

Some felt that when they were discharged to a bedded setting that it was not always easy for loved ones to visit and some respondents did not feel involved in financial decisions regarding their or their loved one’s ongoing care. However, the majority of respondents did feel that they had been provided with appropriate information for next steps once the package of care ended.