A BOROUGH health watchdog has raised serious concerns over the safe discharge of patients in mid and south Essex.

Healthwatch Thurrock has published a report on discharges from the three Mid and South Essex NHS Trust (MSE) hospitals at Basildon, Southend and Broomfield.

While discharges are handled both by hospitals and social workers and NHS staff in communities, the report said there had been an increased number of "failed' and unsafe discharges" because it is believed some patients are being discharged too soon.

Healthwatch said hospitals are still using "medically optimised" discharge criteria brought in during covid rather than the former "fit for discharge" criteria.

The report said: "We also heard of concerns around increase in local demand alongside a lack of capacity within the MSE hospitals. It was clear that professionals had come into contact with patients who were discharged without equipment, the right medication and discharge letters, meaning that consequently they could not then continue care for that patient in a seamless manner."

Speaking at a Thurrock health and wellbeing board meeting, Kim James, chief operating officer at Healthwatch Thurrock, said: "We've picked up lots of issues, complaints, concerns from various sources including people themselves, families and people who provide care once they return home after a discharge.

"We fully understand that the pressure people are under within the system is immense and we truthfully believe that nobody intends any harm to be done to people it's just that sometimes these people fall through the gaps."

Ms James added: "We felt the main concern was communication. That ran right the way through the report was communication. It was communication with families, communication the person themselves, with the care services that should have come out and looked after them and between staff.

"All the concerns came down to communication."

Margaret Allen, NHS Thurrock Alliance Deputy Director, MSE Integrated Care Partnership, said: "During this winter period there has been a discharge cell established.

"It started this week and will carry on until the end of March next year and that is there to pick up on those really challenging complex discharges that sometimes the staff that are working in the transfer of care hubs are really working with a lot of different cases and then it is possible there is a really poor discharge because it is complex."

James Currell, Acting Divisional Director, Clinical and Support Services Division at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We welcome the report from Healthwatch Thurrock, which highlights good and poor patient experiences.

"We are already working on improving the discharge processes for our patients ahead of Winter, with a dedicated task force in place to manage the discharge plans for the most complex patients, working closely with multiple agencies and the Transfer of Care Hub in Thurrock."