"Poor discharge from hospital"

My mother of 81 with a long term condition was admitted to Watford general hospital with pneumonia.

The medical and nursing care was exemplary.

The discharge process was appalling. From the moment that the doctors announced that my mum would be medically fit for discharge soon I notified the ward that I would be most happy to help with her discharge since I knew her baseline function the home situation, the capability of my disabled father and what's more I am a doctor. I spoke to a doctor twice, the ward sister and rand the ward several times.

The nurses, then the OT assessed my mum, yet never nice did they call any family member. They OT never spoke directly to the nurses, and although she apparently ordered 3 pieces of equipment, she did not detail the order in the notes, nor when this equipment would be received, or whether it was essential or desirable before discharge.

She then went on leave and so her recommendation became translated that my mum was unsafe t go home without chair raiser, kitchen trolley or bed lever/raiser. None of this was essential.

But the ward discharge coordinator then referred to the social worker but could not tell when she would be allocated a ss nor when the assessment would be carried out. Eventually the allocated sw saw her but could not tell me when the care would start.

Eventually from the time she was medically fit for discharge my mum was given a discharge date of 9 days after medical fitness.

She could in fact have been discharged within 24-48 hours with professionals improved their communication, between themselves and with the family.

Until we learn from the systems of the best (prof Downes and his team in Sheffield has reduce this delay by 60%) we will continue to suffer from long a and e waits because we can't move patients out of hospital and free up the beds