State of Caring Carers UK State of Caring 2017 Report | Page 18
STATE OF CARING REPORT 2017
Carers’ experiences of
discharge from hospital
As part of a patient’s discharge, hospitals have a duty
to consult the patient’s carer about the discharge
process. Of those filling out the survey, a third of carers
(34%) said the person that they care for had been
discharged from hospital within the last year. We asked
these carers about their recent experience of hospital
discharge. Disappointingly, responses show that the
carer’s needs and the support in place were not always
properly considered in the discharge process, often
leading to poor and distressing outcomes.
The majority
58 %
with experience of hospital
discharge in the previous year said
they were either not consulted
about the discharge (23%) or were
consulted but only at the last
minute (35%)
The majority of carers (58%) with experience of hospital
discharge in the previous year said they were either
not consulted about the discharge (23%) or were
consulted but only at the last minute (35%). Many
carers providing care for someone who had been
discharged from hospital in the last year said they were
discharged too early, with 23% stating that the person
they care for was not ready to come home and 17%
saying the support was not available for them to be at
home. A further 1 in 10 carers (9%) reported that the
person they care for was discharged too early and as a
result readmitted to hospital in the following couple of
months. These figures remain broadly unchanged from
last year.
1 in 10
9 %
reported that the person they care
for was discharged too early and as
a result readmitted to hospital in the
following couple of months
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