Ombudsman supports proposal to reduce hospital discharge failures and increase patient safety

Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman Julie Mellor said:

When patients are discharged unsafely from hospital it can have a devastating impact on them and their families.

'Our own casework shows that we still see too many complaints about failures in the discharge process.

'This report from Healthwatch adds further weight to our own view that there is still a way to go for the NHS and social care services to plug the gaps in their services to help achieve integrated, joined up care for patients.'

For examples of  Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman cases related to failures in the  hospital discharge process view the following case summaries:

• Older patient died in hospital when his wish was to die at home.
• Man's fall in hospital delayed further medical treatment.