A report out today shows significant numbers of people are not receiving follow-up support after being discharged from hospital under new policy, leading to unmet needs

The research commissioned by HealthWatch and the British Red Cross, to help hospitals free up 15,000 beds and cope with demand at the peak of the pandemic, the Government issued policy to switch to a ‘discharge to assess’ model in March 2020.

This meant people were discharged from hospital faster by having their ongoing care needs assessed at home yet says the report, this led to worse care and a lack of support for some patients leaving hospital.

Over 500 patients and carers took part in the survey, which gathered experiences of being discharged from hospital from March to August 2020.

Eight local Healthwatch and partners around the country also carried out 61 in-depth interviews with key staff groups involved in hospital discharge processes.

82% of respondents did not receive a follow-up visit and assessment at home and almost one in five of these reported an unmet care need.

Some people felt their discharge was rushed, with around one in five feeling unprepared to leave hospital.

Over a third  of people were not given a contact who they could get in touch with for further advice after discharge, despite this being part of the guidance.

Perhaps though most importantly around a third of people faced an issue with delayed COVID-19 test results, potentially putting family and carers at risk, or in a care home, other residents and staff.

British Red Cross Chief Executive Mike Adamson  said:

“As winter approaches and the pandemic continues, the British Red Cross is working alongside NHS and social care services to get people home safely from hospital. We’ve seen first-hand the huge efforts made to improve the discharge process for patients and their families. However, we also know despite good intentions and hard work, there are still barriers to making the ideals of discharge policy a reality.

“The Red Cross has been bearing witness to these issues for years, and we hope that the increased urgency of the situation will bring lasting change. Many of the people we support are older or more vulnerable, and fall into the higher-risk categories for Covid-19. Simple interventions, like getting equipment and medicine delivered, or follow-up visits, can make the difference between good recovery or someone regressing to the point of readmission – precisely at the time we want people to stay well, and stay at home.”

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