New PM must act to stop unsafe hospital discharges – the more she delays, the more people at risk
Ahead of addressing the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on unsafe hospital discharge practice in the NHS, CEO of Independent Age Janet Morrison urges the Government to confront the issue head on.
The evidence is mounting that hospital discharge is repeatedly failing older people.
A recent report from the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman (PHSO) detailed nine cases of unsafe discharge from hospital, and their consequences for patients. These devastating consequences included dementia patients being sent home with no support, patients and their families experiencing pain and suffering, and even potentially avoidable death.
But the cases highlighted by the PHSO are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to unsafe discharge. Across the country older people are falling through the gaps between the health and care systems every day. And too often they are viewed as medical problems to be fixed, rather than people in need of holistic support.
Today I will speak to the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee on this important topic. I will share some of the experiences of the older people and their families who call our helpline (0800 319 6789), and make the case for the reform and investment in health and care that we need to ensure older people can leave hospital safely and with dignity.
We frequently hear from older people who are sent home without the support they need to properly recover.
We recently heard from Freda from the South West of England, for example, who was sent home after hip surgery with no support in place at all. As a result, despite getting some support from her community, Freda was stuck sitting in the same straight-backed chair in her kitchen for the best part of a year. You can hear Freda’s story directly from her here.
Things can be even more difficult for people with dementia. We heard about 88-year-old Andrea’s experience from her best friend, Jane. Andrea was sent home from hospital on three separate occasions to an empty flat. Jane, who was Andrea carer, was repeatedly denied information about her case, and Andrea was discharged without her knowledge each and every time.
Leaving Andrea without the support she needed left her exposed to serious risk, including one occasion when she left her gas cooker on, and another where she lost her bank cards and Freedom Pass, leaving her unable to buy food. The repeated failures of the discharge process at her local hospital contributed to her having a string of accidents, and her health declining rapidly.
The experiences of people who call our helpline is reflected in the published evidence. It is estimated that about 15% of patients aged over 65 in England are readmitted to hospital within 28 days. And according to Healthwatch England, a quarter (26%) of those who had been re-admitted to hospital within three months felt they had been discharged before they were well enough.
There is undoubtedly more that hospitals could do to fix this problem. For example, hospitals need to make sure they are better integrated with local social care services, and ensure that older people and their families are at the centre of decision-making.
But there is only so much hospitals can do by themselves. Our society is only getting older – in twenty years almost a quarter of us will be over 65 – and we urgently need the Government to confront the issue of the future of health and social care funding head on.
Ensuring that the NHS and care work must be the first issue that our new Prime Minister examines. For every day she delays, more older people will be left at risk of unsafe discharge and its terrible consequences.
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