On the right path to improving hospital discharge for patients
Healthwatch Bristol wanted to improve people's experiences when leaving hospital care by working with the local hospital. Thanks to people speaking up and sharing their experiences, local NHS leaders have since pledged £17m investment into the current hospital discharge model.
Alongside this £17m investment, local NHS leaders have also pledged to provide clearer information and better communication with patients and carers.
The patient experience
Healthwatch Bristol focused on people who were medically fit to be discharged from hospital but required additional support. Ongoing care is typically provided in a nursing or care home setting or, sometimes, a patient's home.
One hundred forty-one patients, families, carers, and NHS staff spoke with Healthwatch Bristol about their experiences with hospital discharge processes. More than 75% said they felt delays in admission or discharge negatively affected their psychological or physical wellbeing. Some added that they thought delays had led to further health complications.
Communication is key
"We need more time to assess people after they become medically fit, to establish the best pathway to meet their needs...There are big expectations from patients and families and we face criticism for not arranging care packages soon enough." - Nurse.
These conversations revealed a system in crisis where little to no communication between care providers took place. People speaking to Healthwatch Bristol said care services were disjointed, which added to delays in discharges and confusion about ongoing care. They also expressed that their families, friends, or carers weren't included in conversations concerning ongoing care and treatment plans. Many had no idea where to turn for help, information, or additional support.
Many of the concerns raised were echoed by the healthcare staff, who spoke about the pressures they faced. 40% of staff said they sometimes felt that pressure to reduce the length of a patient's stay and free up beds impacted the quality of care they provided.
Whilst it's clear that several issues negatively impact people's experiences of the hospital discharge process, communication was the most prevalent.
Working to provide clear information
"Our report revealed that patients often received mixed messages, conflicting advice, or had little to no communication around next steps for discharge."
Healthwatch Bristol raised these issues with local hospitals and care providers, after which they created information leaflets to clarify the different discharge pathways.
To ensure that the information and layout were accessible and that they addressed the issues found in Healthwatch Bristol's report, a Healthwatch lead, Healthwatch volunteer, and a carer who had been interviewed for the report led on the design of the leaflets.
The leaflets will offer clarity to patients about what to expect when discharged from hospital. It will answer important questions, such as what will happen next in their care and who to speak to if there's an issue.
"We are so pleased for patients and families that these issues are being recognised by the range of services involved. The findings have helped the University Hospitals Bristol and Weston Trust to bringing on a new work stream, 'Every Minute Matters', to improve patient discharge communication."
