Action to help patients home from hospital

Healthwatch East Sussex is taking part in a big initiative to ensure that patients spend no longer than they need to in hospital. This means supporting them to return home safely or, if this is not possible, to move to a care home or supported housing once their treatment in hospital is complete.

Hospitals have a duty to ensure that beds are occupied only by people who need treatment there. The Let’s Get You Home initiative will help the Conquest Hospital and Eastbourne District General Hospital have beds available when they are most needed, especially through the winter when more people are ill or have accidents.

There’s also lots of evidence to show that patients recover better outside hospital when they are well enough to leave.

Let’s Get You Home will ensure that:

• Staff will have earlier conversations with patients about how they will leave hospital – usually within 24 hours of being admitted – and they will be given clear information about their choices.
• Hospital staff and local council adult services teams will work more closely with each other to ensure patients have the care and support they need to return home (or go into a care home or supported housing if they can’t go home).
• More assessments on people’s long-term care needs will take place in their own homes, where they can be assessed more accurately, rather than in hospital.

Let’s Get You Home is being implemented by the 24 NHS organisations and councils across the Sussex and East Surrey Sustainability and Transformation Partnership, including adult services teams at West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council. Healthwatch and patient groups have also been involved.