How local feedback improved hospital discharge for Derbyshire patients
Patient feedback has also led to clearer information for patients, and training for volunteers who can support them as they’re leaving hospital.
The importance of a smooth discharge process
Discharge from hospital is an important step in someone’s recovery journey. If done wrong, it can lead to emergency readmission, and more pressure on services like GPs, pharmacies, and A&E.
During the pandemic, people told Healthwatch Derbyshire they had poor experiences when leaving hospital. They didn’t know what would happen next, and weren’t involved in decisions about their care.
In 2022, Healthwatch Derbyshire wanted to know whether the situation had improved. They held face-to-face interviews with patients waiting to leave local hospitals and heard from people who'd recently left hospital and had received help from the Derbyshire Home from Hospital Service.
Clear areas for improvement
Healthwatch Derbyshire found little had changed. People still didn’t receive clear information, weren’t told about the next steps or who to contact about any issues once they were home, and had no say in their ongoing care. Some felt rushed out of the hospital, others were left waiting with no explanation, and many had delays in getting medicine or transport home.
Patients also told Healthwatch Derbyshire they wanted a clearer idea of how long discharge would take.
Making change
Healthwatch Derbyshire shared their findings with Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), who commissioned Healthwatch Derbyshire to have a Discharge Engagement Lead.
The role aims to improve collaboration and the sharing of patients’ views among partners in health, social care, and the voluntary sector. It’s already led to the creation of an information pack to be shared with patients across the county’s care system, and increased training among staff.
There are also plans for when the role’s funding finishes, with a survey developed to continue to gather patients’ feedback, and keep using this to improve their experiences.
Healthwatch Derbyshire’s report also led local hospitals to develop clearer information about what to expect from the discharge process, including information booklets, display boards in the discharge waiting area, and easily identifiable staff and volunteers who can answer their questions.
What happens next:
Healthwatch Derbyshire’s work has provided the local NHS with a better understanding of the patient experience of discharge, and helped more people make informed decisions about their care. It’s also helped increase public feedback, which is influencing ongoing improvements across the system in Derbyshire.
Healthwatch Derbyshire will continue working with their ICB to ensure that people leaving hospital get the right support.
