Have your say on leaving hospital
Here at Healthwatch we are currently carrying out two pieces of work looking at people’s experiences of being discharged from hospital.
Your feedback can help us understand what is working well, where people are struggling and what could be improved to make leaving hospital safer and better supported.
We would particularly like to hear from men, whose experiences are often under-represented in health and care surveys.
Which survey should I complete?
We have two surveys running, one specific to Torbay and another specific to Plymouth and wider Devon, so please choose the one that best matches your experience.
If you live in Torbay and were discharged from Torbay Hospital
We want to hear about all experiences of leaving Torbay Hospital – good, bad or somewhere in between.
You might want to tell us about:
- how well staff communicated with you
- whether you felt involved in decisions about leaving hospital
- whether medication, equipment or care was ready
- the support you received once you left
- anything that worked particularly well
- anything you think could have been better.
Your feedback will help Healthwatch Torbay and local health and care partners understand what is working and where improvements may be needed. It will also help inform future work around hospital discharge and support in the community.
Share your Torbay Hospital experience
A carer, relative or friend can also complete the survey about someone they supported.
If you live in Devon or Plymouth and had a delayed or difficult discharge
Healthwatch England is carrying out national research into delayed or difficult hospital discharge, and we are helping make sure the experiences of people in Devon and Plymouth are included.
This survey is for people aged 16+ who stayed overnight in an NHS hospital in England during the last 12 months and experienced something such as:
- staying in hospital longer than expected when they were ready to leave
- being discharged before they felt ready
- leaving before the right care, medication, equipment, transport or follow-up was in place
- another problem that made leaving hospital difficult.
We are especially keen to hear from men, so if this sounds like your experience – or the experience of a man you supported – please consider taking part.
The findings will help Healthwatch understand where hospital discharge is working well and where changes may be needed, helping inform conversations with NHS and government decision-makers.
Take the Devon and Plymouth hospital discharge survey
Carers, relatives and friends can also respond about someone they supported.
Every experience helps
Leaving hospital can involve many different services and organisations. Hearing directly from patients, carers and families helps us build a clearer picture of what happens in practice – not just what should happen on paper.
Even if your experience feels quite ordinary, it can still help us identify what services should continue doing as well as what needs to change.
The Devon and Plymouth survey closes on 9 October 2026.
If you need help completing either survey, or would prefer to speak to someone, call Healthwatch free on 0800 520 0640.
Thank you for helping us make sure local people’s experiences are heard.
