STATE OF CARING REPORT 2016
NHS – experience of hospital discharge
As part of a patient ’ s discharge , hospitals have a duty 6 to consult the patient ’ s carer about the discharge process . Of those filling out the survey , 31 % care for someone who had been discharged from hospital in the previous year . We asked these carers about their recent experience of hospital discharge . A quarter ( 25 %) of the carers of those who have been discharged from hospital at least once in the previous year report that they were not consulted about the process .
Significantly , nearly 6 in 10 carers ( 57 %) said that they did not feel that they had a choice about providing care to the person following their discharge from hospital .
The survey suggests that a failure to consider the carer ’ s needs or the support in place at home is having distressing and counter-productive consequences . Over half ( 55 %) of those completing the survey who care for someone discharged from hospital in the previous year said that they were discharged too early . Worryingly , 1 in 10 ( 11 %) carers said that because the person they care for was discharged too early , they had to be readmitted to hospital in the following couple of months .
Many carers also described instances where a lack of support from social care and community health services meant the person they cared for had to remain in hospital longer than necessary to wait for support at home to be put in place .
No additional help was offered . I got three hours ’ notice and she was a two hour journey away . I don ’ t drive so had to beg for help from a neighbour .
Several hospital stays have been far longer than medically necessary due to the failure of social care provision .
My son was discharged home to an empty flat and he didn ’ t have a key to get in . They put him in a taxi and sent him on a 30 minute drive home . There was nobody to let him in for over three hours and it was raining heavily and he had no coat . I could do nothing as I was 150 miles away .
Nearly 6 in 10
57 %
said that they did not feel that they had a choice about providing care to the person following their discharge from hospital .
I had to fight long and hard for the social services and the hospital to recognise that my sister was not ready to be discharged from the hospital . They have no idea about her disability . Only through fighting did she receive adequate care after discharge from hospital .
1 in 10
11 %
of carers said because the person they care for was discharged too early , they were readmitted to hospital within a couple of months .
My mother ’ s discharge was delayed by about four or five days whilst the continuing health care package of home care was put in place .
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In Scotland existing protocols around hospital discharge will be replaced by a duty to consult carers coming into place with the Carers ( Scotland ) Act 2016
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