In a hospital setting, "discharge" refers to the formal release of a patient after their treatment or surgery, marking the end of their inpatient care and their transition to another setting, such as home or another facility.
Patients and relatives told us that they have found staff to be caring, they have received good treatment, but the discharge experience left them disappointed - telling us that communication was lacking and that they felt ‘stuck’ in the syste
They experienced long waits for assessments for care at home or for transfer to other services. They felt the process was disjointed and they didn’t know who they had spoken to or what they were waiting for. There were minimal activities for patients, so they often felt bored.
“The days are boring”
Relatives expressed concern about Intermediate Care and Discharge to Assess services being mainly in Leigh, visiting could be difficult for those without transport.
There were multiple disjointed teams involved in discharge causing confusion, miscommunication and delays as patients felt no one-person or team was driving their discharge.
Our findings have been shared with local NHS leaders in Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh, who welcomed our findings and have already started to take action to make changes to the system. We are continuing to work with health and social care partners to improve the system for to reduce unnecessary time in hospital.
Kevin Parker Evans, chief nurse at WWL responded: ‘WWL extends its gratitude to both Healthwatch and system partners for their collaborative efforts in conducting this review. The report highlights several areas for improvement, which the system is collectively addressing to enhance patient care by ensuring that patient planning and discharging are patient-centred, safe, and timely.
WWL is a key stakeholder in the Better Lives Programme, a borough-wide transformation initiative aimed at ensuring our patients are in the right place at the right time with the appropriate support. This programme runs concurrently with several internal Trust executive-led transformation initiatives that aim to streamline and centre the discharge process around patients, relatives, and carers, ultimately benefiting both patients and staff.
Patient flow and the discharge process are critical quality indicators. The Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Medical Director are working closely with the clinical and operational teams to drive the ongoing transformation efforts.’
Our full report is now available by following the link here.
( https://healthwatchwiganandleigh.co.uk/delayed-discharge-the-report/)
Do you have a story to share about your medical experience? Want to see change in the system? Maybe even volunteer and help us make a difference?
Get in touch at info@healthwatchwiganandleigh.co.uk or 01942 834666. We are the independent champions for you, get in touch.