Have your say on hospital discharge service

A patients’ champion group has launched a public survey to find out ‘the good, the bad and the ugly’ about patients’ experiences of leaving hospital.

The Patients’ Council is an independent organisation promoting patients’ concerns, views and ideas, and is keen to hear from as many local people as possible about their personal experiences of the hospital discharge process.

It will be asking its 12,000 members to complete the survey, as well as members of the public who have been admitted to Rochdale Infirmary or any of the wards at Birch Hill in the last two years.

The survey is made up of 20 multiple choice questions and can be accessed up to 31 October via the website www.patientscouncil.org.uk or by requesting a hard copy by calling 0161 766 9392 or by emailing info@patientscouncil.org.uk

Patients’ Council member, Mick Ainsworth, who is leading the research project, said: “Our role is to represent the voice of the patient and contribute to the improvement of services where possible. We have anecdotal information that the discharge process is not as smooth and as stress-free as it should be, but we need to back this up with quantifiable facts.

“We need as many people as possible, both patients and carers, that have been in hospital themselves or had a relative in hospital in the last two years, to spend a few minutes completing this questionnaire to give us a clear picture of what is happening at our hospitals.

“We can then use the results to push for improvements where necessary and share best practice both nationally and locally.”