Why do the NHS do this? Big waste of time and resources surely

[treatsortreating]

I've had a few unlucky times in the last year. And a few before that

Literally every time (I have 3 fairly local
Hospitals). They all do the same thing

Ward round, doctor says you can be discharged, you're good to go.

But you're waiting HOURS for a discharge letter? 8 hours on from being told I was okay to go home. Buzzed nurse again. This time someone else as hand over had been done. 'Oh yes you can go, but we're just waiting on your discharge letter'

I don't understand it? I really don't.

Why don't they post it? It can be done. My DC has a serious issue with something and a very good yet a bit further away hospital always see her. I take her to them as they're great (Addenbrooke's, Cambridge)

They never discharge her and then make us wait for discharge papers. Those get posted. Simple.

Surely this method of making people wait for discharge letters is taking up beds? Someone could've had my bed over 8 hours ago and still I was waiting

I was still unwell so couldn't put up much of a protest but it just seems an insane waste of time

But I have never ever been told to get discharge paperwork! Dr comes around and says you can go... Where are you meant to go for this and how are you meant to know you need to get it? I just assumed when they said you can go that's what you do!

Why do patients need "discharge paperwork" in the first place? The hospital know who your GP is.

It's just another part of an antiquated system which needs a rocket putting under it. Any information about what you need to do or warning signs to look out for is online, and can be prepared in advance of any hospital admission for people who haven't internet access. This idea of PATIENTS being the ones who are expected to take paperwork and deliver it to the GP, midwife or physio is just ridiculous in an age of email and text messages.

I left acute care 2 years ago (paeds) we hadn’t had discharge letters for years. If a child needed a plan for going home it was either done by drs on wr and handed to the parents, or by us nurses, certain meds could just go home no need for pharmacy or if they did we would sort prior to discharge, our pharmacist was on the wr and there was always a jr on for admin who did all the letters. Especially in winter when it was v busy we needed kids out as soon as we could if they are able. We were pretty efficient. We had 4/6 sn on per day shift so it was busy but productive

Yes. Once or twice I have had queries with my mother’s discharge notes for her complex conditions. Better to sort it out face to face at the time.

My last experience in hospital showed the waste of resources. Everybody who was discharged didn't leave until late in the day waiting for paperwork or for the pharmacy to provide medication. Lots of people milling round but very little happening. One women was waiting for a care home space- didn't any medical support but did take up a bed and food resources. The consultants rushed round to see people but must have spend 80% of the time moving between bits of the hospital to give 2 minute updated to people.

@Misthios if you read the thread you’d know that the discharge letter is just a copy of what goes to the GP and details of the patients meds, OPD appointments and referrals plus any instructions like forthcoming blood tests, ambulance bookings etc. It’s important staff go through it with the patient before they go home. How is that inefficient ? Yet again so called experts pontificating about things they don’t understand.

The problem is the longer it takes, the more people just say sod it and walk out and then need to present at GP. My DM did this several times. Even worse, is the med changes. The hospital take your meds off you when you go in. They then changed them, and you have to wait for those to be issued before discharge. DM doesn't want those, she wants the ones she has had for years and is happy with. She bins them, goes to GP who re-issues all the meds she already had, which the hospital had binned. The waste is breathtaking.

For simple discharges, just walk out. All the follow up information is on-line now. Younger fit folk don't even need follow ups, I declined follow ups after gall bladder and an arthroscopy as I was fine.

@Tootiredforallthiscrap
I disagree, I think most people do understand how under strain medical staff are. Easy to blame it on the 'system' because that makes it impersonal, but it's a system that's downer work, in an antiquated, underfunded, under staffed.

But there was certain things that don't add up. There are many reasons for Waiting for a discharge letter, but the idea that a patient then delivers it to a GP is beyond ridiculous.

The obvious solution to pharmacy hold ups is digital dispensing. It will come, but it needs capital outlay.

Yeah we've had the same Knitted - DM moved by the hospital onto a more "modern" version of a drug by the hospital who have no record and DM has no memory of the reason she's on an "old fashioned" one is because she reacted badly previously. We've been around the amlodipine / oedema cycle a few times now.

@Oblomov24 they don’t. Please read the thread. It’s sent electronically. The discharge letter has more stuff written down for the patient to remember.

Just do, honestly. If you’re physically able and just waiting for the paperwork, just go. I went to the desk and said ‘I’m just gonna go, my husband and kids are waiting in the car outside, thought I’d better tell someone’ and magically my paperwork appeared 😄 you’re doing them a favour by freeing up a bed, surely.

We do post them, as long as there is no medication on it to go home with. And we try and get medication done the day before. But it is incredibly frustrating getting them done at times. Particularly at weekends when we don't have a doctor allocated to our ward
I had an elective stay for five days and they didn't do my TTO's till the last day. Even though they knew what I needed.

I remember being told my newborn baby and I could go home a few days after an emergency c-section.

It took hours for the discharge letter but because I was no longer on the ward rounds they weren't able to give me the painkillers I'd been taking every few hours and I didn't have any of my own with me. I think I dispatched DH to the hospital shop to see if they had any paracetamol.

@Redglitter we have that for adults, there isn't one for children, but I believe they are thinking about one.

If its just a letter no point staying. If it's medication on the other hand...

Doing tto meds early is also inefficient as it might change and have to be redone.

No it's a communication from the treating doctors to the GP but it's not just a letter it's medication adjustments , prescription, abd the meds are prepped in the pharmacy dept as ' take homes' . If there are issues there are communication between the pharmacists and Drs etc, also there may be other referrals and jobs to do for the pt. And remember this all has to be done while reviewing another 20 patients and similar work for them.

I think everyone appreciates that, but equally we are told their are bed shortages....

And it's electronic.
Only time we do paper is if extremely short of time at the weekend but that tends to be poor quality.

We can only do our best. Sometimes also a ot is told on the round they can go that day but bloods have been done and can only go if normal etc

We have the same. So much more efficient.

It's really a matter of communication. But it's so busy it can be hard to explain as there is either an emergent or sick path that must be seen in a timely manner.

We have discharge lounge too, but not suitable for all part and we have to have done the meds letter first but then they can go while pharmacy prep them.
Occasionally pts go home and pick meds up later but that can sometimes go wrong for eg if it's rushed too much people don't realise there are bloods pending or issues arise with timing of meds etc

Oh lord, mine was maternity too! The only reason I was still in there was because of dd, and after them saying after 8 days she could finally go home, they said they couldn't discharge me because they'd lost my medical notes!
There were other issues as well - the word shambles doesn't quite cover it really.