What did people tell us about being discharged from hospital in East Kent?
Summary
We talked to a whole range of people including:
- patients who were waiting to be discharged from all three East Kent Hospitals
- patients who had been discharged to Integrated Care Homes
- Carers and families
- GPs, Practice Managers and District Nurses
- Voluntary organisations
Discharging someone from hospital is a complicated process and can involve a whole range of organisations. We have shared everything we have heard with all the organisations involved including social services, patient transport, community health teams, GPs, commissioners and of course the hospital trust.
“The physiotherapist called me a day before the discharge and checked I was able to look after him and asked if I knew about carers support."
3 key findings
- 53% of patients had their discharge delayed on the day they were due to leave.
- 46% of patients could recall being given an estimated discharge date. A further 5% were told in advance but the same day.
- 29% of patients told us they didn’t get the care and support that they were promised.
“It wasn’t even enough warning that I was going to be discharged so I had to go home in my pyjamas. I know they are busy but there was no dignity for me.”
Downloads
You can read more about these stories, and more, plus our recommendations in the report below. Do keep sharing your stories with us as we can use them to improve services for other people.
