"Formal Discharge Planning"

The hospital staff were always friendly and the standard of care seemed reasonable [Cottage Ward] - the main problem we had as a family was communication. There were no formal discharge planning reviews, and information was often shared ad hoc and almost on a whim. If you happened to pass an OT during visiting time she may or may not update you on any progress. There was no formal communication from Social Workers with regard to future planning, no sharing of assessments and no advice given regarding next steps, form completion, and no suggestions regarding residential care options. On the few occasions my fathers GP spoke to us on the ward he advised that his bloods were abnormal, he was severely anemic and suggested we consider carefully any recommendations regarding further investigations. The GP suggested in a round about fashion that there might be something seriously wrong with my father but exactly what was never specified. He advised that further investigations might well be invasive and not ideal given his age and fragility but never said what may be wrong with him. It all seemed very vague and we simply speculated on the worst possible scenario. Further blood tests were required but n one spoke to us about any results and ward staff seemed unaware of it. My father was discharged from the Princess of Wales Hospital without a discharge meeting, so the family had little say or opportunity to discuss these issues with the team, next steps, identified needs and future care plans. We would have welcomed this opportunity to seek assurances and clarify key issues.