Our Leaving Hospital work is shortlisted for a national award

Our Healthwatch has been shortlisted for a national award for our work to improve the way patients are discharged from hospital.
patient with crutches waiting at a hospital

Our Leaving Hospital during Covid-19 report – published last December – highlighted the experiences of local patients, and their families, during the pandemic.

It called on our local hospitals and councils to make some big changes – including better communications, information and support – so that the discharge process works better for people.

Improving the experience for patients and families

Since then, health, social care and community organisations have been working together on a series of pilot projects aimed at making discharge a better experience. 

“Our report reinforced the need for some significant changes to a very complicated system that brings together various health and care services,” said our CEO Sandie Smith.

“As well as resulting in practical outcomes – like new information leaflets for patients – there’s a commitment from hospitals and local authorities to look long term at the system and really understand what matters to patients and their families.

“I’m pleased to see these on-the-ground pilots underway and that patients’ experiences and feedback are central in shaping these improvements."

Award recognition

Our report and subsequent work has now been recognised in the Healthwatch Network Awards.  These are run by Healthwatch England and showcase teams making positive change to local health and care services.

I'm delighted that the project – and the work of our volunteers who carried out all the interviews – has been recognised.

Our Healthwatch CEO Sandie Smith

We are one of only 30 local Healthwatch out of 152 across England to be in the running for one of the awards.

We find out whether our award bid has been successful in early November.

Share your leaving hospital experiences

Have you – or someone you care for – left hospital recently?

Please keep sharing your experiences with us and tell us what’s gone well or what needs improving.

What you tell us is anonymised and passed back to our local NHS and care services so they can improve how they care for us all in these difficult times.

Share your views

0330 355 1285

0752 0635 176

enquiries@healthwatchcambspboro.co.uk