Ombudsman warns of inappropriate discharge from hospital

Published: 12 May 2016

The Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has published a report showing how some vulnerable patients are inappropriately discharged from hospital.

In a number of complaints investigated by the Ombudsman, frail elderly or disabled patients were put at risk as a result of not having anyone else at home or not having food or drink.

The Ombudsman had seen a significant increase in these kinds of complaint which led her to investigate further.

The report calls for better discharge planning including checking patients’ mental capacity and involving carers/relatives, and better co-ordination between services such as hospitals, social services and community health teams.