Spotlight: Possability People Hospital Discharge Service

Please tell us a bit about Possability People and your role. 

"Possability People is Brighton’s leading disability charity and engages with thousands of disabled people in the city and across Sussex each year. We are a pan impairment organisation and are here to support people who are physically disabled, have learning difficulties, sensory impairments, long-term mental ill health or who are neurodivergent. 

"We work in community engagement and providing support and advice. We also have our own domiciliary care agency, At Home, which provides personal assistants for people who need one-to-one care and support."

Can you please tell us about the Hospital Discharge Support service and why it was established? 

"At any one time there are many people in hospital or step-down care who are medically ready for discharge but are prevented from going home due to their living arrangements. It may be that their accommodation is no longer suitable due to new mobility problems (which may be temporary or permanent). Sometimes people’s flats or houses have become very cluttered or unclean because of the issues that led to their being in hospital. 

"Our principal role is to manage the Brighton and Hove City Council’s Hospital Discharge Disabled Facilities Grant. We are able to call on a range of contractors to make changes to clients’ physical living arrangements to facilitate their speedy discharge. 

"Examples of our work include deep cleans of properties that are badly soiled and removals to make way for hospital beds and creating microenvironments for people with reduced mobility. We can also provide white goods, bedding or more or less anything else that will assist with discharge. We can commission building works where these improve the safety or accessibility of the property. 

"We also provide grants for work where it is needed to prevent admission or readmission to hospital. 

"The scheme is accessed by a referral from any health professional. It is available to anyone in Brighton and Hove who is either over 65 or who has a disability, unless they live in Council accommodation. 

"Recently, we have started delivering Personal Health Grants for the NHS. This is a similar scheme, but with no limits on the age or accommodation of referrals. This is managed by the Transfer of Care Hub at BSUH." 

The service reduces the likelihood of readmission to hospital, with an emphasis on recovering at home. Why is this so important? 

“This is important for a number of reasons. Most importantly, patients are keen to get back to their familiar home environment, somewhere they feel comfortable and safe, as quickly as possible and our intervention assists them in doing that. 

"Sometimes, when a person is living in an environment that presents risks (e.g. falls or infection) then they find themselves going back to hospital a number of times. This is not conducive to their recovery and reattainment of independence. Our work can prevent that happening. 

"Finally, it is essential to free up hospital beds as quickly as practicably and safely as possible. By improving a patient’s living environment, we can facilitate a faster and safer discharge and lower the likelihood of readmission.”

What kind of feedback do you receive from service users? 

“Generally, very good. When we last reviewed feedback, 97% of clients were expressing that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the service that they received. 

One example was: “Thank you so much for arranging this bed for my dad. He is much happier now that he can sleep comfortable downstairs.”

Our recent Healthwatch in Sussex poll on hospital discharge (see here) found that respondents wanted clearer communication from the service provider when it came to their discharge, as well as improved involvement of family members and carers. 

What is your experience of these concerns? 

"Discharge can be a difficult time for patients and their families. They may be dealing with multiple professionals (e.g. Occupational Therapists, care providers, medical staff) and become confused and frustrated. 

"We find that staff are all focused on the same outcome for the patient and do their utmost to keep them abreast of developments. From our point of view, we make sure that there are regular updates for the patient and the referrer to ensure that discharge can go as smoothly as possible.”

Are there any other projects you’d like to share with us? 

"Our excellent Advice Centre provides support for people on disability benefits, appeals and tribunals, Blue Badges and a host of other issues related to disability. 

"I should also mention our newest service, Step by Step. It offers one-to-one long-term support and workshops for people living in Brighton and Hove with long-term health conditions, including neurodivergence and mental ill health, who have struggled to get the support they need. 

"Details of all of our services and how to contact them are on our website - here.”