More than 80 per cent of hospital patients had no follow-up – study
A NATIONAL Healthwatch investigation by the British Red Cross into hospital discharge processes shows the majority of patients surveyed did not receive recommended follow-up visits after discharge.
A total of 82 per cent of patients felt unready to leave hospital and missed out on vital follow-up visits and assessments, according to new Healthwatch and British Red Cross research into hospital discharge arrangements during the first five months of the coronavirus pandemic.
The report, which had input from residents of Sefton, did however mention how patients are grateful to hard-working doctors, nurses and care staff for continuing to deliver compassionate care in difficult circumstances.
The investigation did also uncover a number of positives, including increased collaboration between services and positive feedback from the public for healthcare staff working under pressure.
As part of this national review, Healthwatch Sefton carried out work to better understand the impact of emergency measures implemented earlier this year to free up beds for Covid patients.
Healthwatch Sefton carried out eight in-depth interviews with key staff involved in the discharge process in the Sefton area, working as part of the Southport and Formby health and care system.
Alongside this, more than 500 patients and carers across England took part in a national survey which gathered people’s experiences from late March to late August.
Some of the key findings included:
82pc of respondents did not receive a followup visit and assessment at home, one of the key recommendations of the policy
Some people felt their discharge was rushed, with around one in five (19pc) feeling unprepared to leave hospital
Over a third (35pc) of respondents and their carers did not get a contact for further advice, despite this being a recommendation
Overall patients and families were very positive about healthcare staff, praising their efforts during such a difficult time.
Healthwatch Sefton manager, Diane Blair, said: “Being involved in this national review was a challenge in terms of the number of in-depth interviews we had to undertake in a short space of time but in listening to the local experiences of professionals from a number of different perspectives we learnt a lot about how the system has been working and suggestions for how we could improve local services for the future.”
As a result of the findings, recommendations from Healthwatch and the British Red Cross were given to help manage a second wave of Covid hospital admissions.