Home from Hospital? Tell us your story asks ERYLINk

WITH THE NHS never far from the national news then it is encouraging to know that there are local ways to influence local health services.

The East Riding of Yorkshire Local Involvement Network - or ERYLINk - has established a group to to study the whole issue of getting discharged from hospital.

Consultation responses in Government discharge 'toolkit' 

People should not be discharged from hospital unless they are medically fit and have been formally discharged by a named doctor. Every hospital has a hospital discharge policy. This is a public document that you can ask to see. It should include details of how the hospital will arrange the discharge. But how do these policies work out in practice?

Have you just come home from hospital? ERYLINk want to find out:

• What went well and what went badly when you were discharged from hospital?
• What ongoing support was available when you arrived back home (or at your residential/nursing home)?
• Were all your personal belongings returned to you? 
• Did you get all your necessary medicines, equipment and advice notes that might have been needed?
• What about transport home?

The ERYLINk want to hear your stories so that services can be improved.

The Hull LINk carried out a similar exercise last year which lead to recommendations being made for better communication, less waiting for medication and improved support for patients after discharge.

Contact Ortrud Nield at ERYLINk if you can help with this study on e-mail ortrud.nield@hwrcc.org.uk or telephone at Driffield 01377 232 136.

Note: The ERYLINk Social Care Forum and AGM takes place on Tuesday 28th June 2011.