01
Dec 2020
Some patients being discharged by hospitals without the care they need at home
A Care Quality Commission survey has found that one in three patients diagnosed with Covid-19 felt that they did not receive the help they needed from community health services or social care following their discharge from hospital.
A recent report by Healthwatch England highlighted that many patients were discharged from hospital between March and August this year without adequate assessments, with vulnerable people being sent home without equipment, medication or care plans in place.
In the wake of coronavirus, a new national approach has been set up to discharging patients, who are meant to be discharged home for assessment to help free up hospital beds. However, social care departments and community services are already overstretched, meaning some patients are going without the care they need.
Chief inspector of hospitals Professor Ted Baker, said that whilst most patients reported a positive experience in hospital, “disappointingly, the results show that for some people the process of leaving hospital and accessing support after was not good enough, particularly for those in hospital with coronavirus. This mirrors the findings of a recent report by Healthwatch England and The British Red Cross.
“Previous CQC inpatient surveys have repeatedly shown discharge and access to onward services as an area where greater improvement is needed. The increased pressures that responding to the pandemic has placed on health and social care has brought the issue into sharp focus.
“More needs to be done to ensure people are fully supported when leaving hospital and when they return home with a clear join up between hospital, community and primary care.”
Chadwick Lawrence’s specialist team of clinical negligence lawyers have years of experience in medical negligence claims, providing support and guidance after life-changing events. Not only do we represent clients in Yorkshire, but because of our reputation we also represent clients nationally.
If you believe that you or a relative may have been injured as a result of clinical/medical negligence, please call for free legal advice from our medical negligence solicitors on the freephone number below.
Posted by Tony May, Partner/head of Clinical Negligence Department, Chadwick Lawrence LLP (tonymay@chadlaw.co.uk ), medical negligence lawyers and clinical negligence solicitors in Huddersfield, Leeds, Wakefield and Halifax, West Yorkshire.
Freephone : 0800 304 7382
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