People’s experiences of leaving hospital in Oxfordshire

Health and social care services in Oxfordshire have been working together to develop a new approach to supporting people when they leave hospital. This has included a shift towards supporting people to get home sooner and recover in their own home. As part of this, services have developed ways of providing ‘joined-up care’, by planning and working closely together around the patient.

Between May and September 2024, Healthwatch Oxfordshire reached out to hear from people in the county about their experiences of this care and support. It heard from 293 people, including 206 members of the public about their experiences of leaving hospital and any follow-on care and support they received after their stay, including 22 unpaid carers. Healthwatch Oxfordshire also heard from 87 health and social care professionals from primary and secondary care and social care.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire heard that parts of the process are working well for some patients. People valued the support and care from health and care professionals, good communication, being involved in decision-making about their care, effective follow-up care and aftercare, and high-quality care.

However, it also heard that there are challenges around consistent and clear communication, listening to people and involving their unpaid carers in decision making, delays in leaving hospital and getting care, and accessing follow-up care and aftercare from different services. There are also challenges around the quality and continuity of care provided.

Based on what it heard, Healthwatch Oxfordshire made a series of recommendations which focus on building on existing good practice to improve the experience of patients and unpaid carers as well as system working. Recommendations cover quality and continuity of care, communication, the role of and support for unpaid carers, and Joined-up working.

Healthwatch Oxfordshire has sent its report to system partners, including Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxfordshire County Council and home care providers, and has published their responses.

Outcomes so far include a new information leaflet about discharge, which is being finalised – Healthwatch Oxfordshire has used what people told it to give feedback on the leaflet.

Health providers are also testing out a process for proactively following up with people who have recently been discharged from hospital, with a view to rolling this out across the county. In addition, providers are delivering workshops and webinars for health and care professionals from different services to improve understanding of discharge and promote joined-up working.