One in seven readmitted to Walsall Manor Hospital a month after being discharged
One in around seven patients were readmitted to Walsall Manor Hospital within a month of being discharged over the space of a year, a damning investigation by an independent watchdog has revealed.
Healthwatch Walsall has called for improvements after revealing 4,004 patients had been readmitted within the 30-day time frame in 2013/14 - representing a 15.7 per cent readmission rate.
The patient-led investigation into hospital discharges found some patients had been readmitted for the same issues and returned within just seven days of being sent home.
A report published today, containing findings from the investigation, said it was down to poor communication and staffing levels. The authors have identified seven key areas for improvement.
The watchdog has highlighted the need for Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust to improve through better communication, more consistency in providing information, the need to involve patients in the discharge process and for relevant information to be passed to social care on transfer.
The watchdog has offered to work with health chiefs to help develop and implement changes to improve the current 'failings'.
The investigation was launched following concerns raised in Healthwatch Walsall's borough wide survey about lack of integration between hospital, community and social services, the watchdog revealed.
Rupy Pandaal, chairman of Healthwatch Walsall, said: "Healthwatch Walsall's investigation into hospital discharge has shown that for some people the discharge process can be a traumatic experience.
"This is mainly due to professionals failing to communicate sufficiently with one another to ensure a co-ordinated approach is consistently used throughout the discharge process.
"This lack of co-ordination along with delays in a doctor actually discharging a patient, medication being prescribed and provided or after care being arranged can make the whole process very traumatic for some people."
He added: "We do acknowledge though that when the system works well it has very good outcomes for patients.
"Healthwatch Walsall has offered to work together with commissioners and providers to help improve processes to try to make this the norm."
Healthwatch Walsall said not all of the cases in Walsall resulted from a poorly managed discharge.
Kathryn Halford, director of nursing, said: "We welcome the findings of the Healthwatch Walsall Hospital Discharge Report, which was compiled in July 2014, as we are continually gathering feedback and suggestions to help us improve services for the thousands of patients we see each year.
"As a Trust we value the experiences – good and bad – that patients, their families and carers share with us as their input helps us shape our work and make improvements.
"Much of our work has already focused on the areas highlighted in the report, including communication with patients and discharge planning and recent Friends and Family figures indicate that these efforts are making a difference."