Have you left hospital during COVID-19? Tell us your experience

News - 21 July 2020

If you’ve been receiving care in hospital there can be lots to think about when you’re getting ready to leave, such as any support you will need to help you manage your health and wellbeing.

During the coronavirus pandemic the usual processes hospitals follow to discharge you from their care changed to help free up beds. Because of this, if you’ve been in hospital recently you should have:

been discharged within two hours, once you no longer need hospital care
had your care and support needs assessed once you have left hospital
been moved to the first available bed in a care home, if you cannot go home
had any further care or support you need fully funded by the NHS

While these changes have successfully got people out of hospital and helped the NHS manage the demand created by coronavirus, it isn't known how the new processes are working for both patients, their families and healthcare professionals.

Why should you share your experiences of care?

NHS and social care staff are doing everything they can to support people through this pandemic, but they need your help to spot issues to make sure everyone receives good care.

Healthwatch England is working with the British Red Cross to listen to your experiences of leaving hospital, so they can help the NHS and social care services understand how the changes brought in during COVID-19 are affecting people’s health and wellbeing - both positively and negatively.

This is why Healthwatch England has launched their campaign #BecauseWeAllCare, to encourage everyone to support the NHS recover by providing feedback about health services.

Tell us your views

Take ten minutes to tell Healthwatch England what happened when you or your loved one was discharged from hospital to improve care for everyone. You can also play your part in supporting the NHS to get back on track by sharing their survey with your friends, neighbours and networks.