Healthwatch help people in south London get support after leaving hospital

Being discharged from hospital isn’t just about going home – it’s about the care and support you receive afterwards too. Read about two local Healthwatch who have won an award for working together to help people in south London get what they need.
Three woman, including a medical professional, look at a chart.

The Healthwatch network has played a vital role in bringing to light the human cost of when discharge goes wrong. Our report, Safely home, showed the ways in which this issue affects people across the country.

Since publication, many Healthwatch have continued to look into this problem. Healthwatch Southwark and Healthwatch Lambeth decided to work together to find out about people’s experiences in their boroughs.

Their project, ‘Going Home’, tracked people for up to three months after they left hospital, and monitored how they got on with each service along the way. Although this approach was time consuming, having two teams speaking to people meant they were able to gather invaluable insight.

Together with their local Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Healthwatch Southwark and Healthwatch Lambeth ran an event for over 150 staff from hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies, social care, and the community and voluntary sector to share what they’d learnt. They showed this film, documenting a 92 year old’s journey from a fall to recovery, to illustrate the impact the discharge process has on people.

Both Healthwatch are now helping their CCGs and councils explore ways to make leaving hospital care better, and continuing to speak to people about their experiences. People in charge of health and social care services in other areas have also been in touch with both Healthwatch to see what they can learn from their work.

Healthwatch Southwark and Healthwatch Lambeth are now working with King’s Hospital to adapt the ‘Going home’ project to help them understand older people’s experiences of visiting the A&E department and returning home.  

At this year's Healthwatch Network Awards, the two local Healthwatch were awarded the 'Working Together' award for the work they have done to understand people's experiences of leaving hospital.

Find out more about the Healthwatch Network Awards.