The Health & Social Care Act 2022 requires NHS trusts to actively involve unpaid carers as early as possible when planning a patient’s discharge. Improving the way the NHS recognises and supports carers is also part of the NHS 10-year reform plan. However, at Derbyshire Carers Association we listen to the voices of carers and many tell us that they feel invisible, uninvolved, undervalued and uninformed when the person they care for is admitted and leaving hospital. This often leaves them feeling frustrated, isolated, confused and in despair.
Across Derbyshire and Derby City, a collaborative system-wide approach is now being developed to help hospitals better identify and support unpaid Carers, funded through the Accelerating Reform Fund (ARF) and running to autumn 2026.
The H-Connect Project aims to improve the recognition, involvement and support of carers and the vital role they play in the hospital discharge process.
The H-Connect Project focuses on working in strong partnership with Derby & Derbyshire NHS hospital Trusts and integrated services to improve and embed effective support for carers in hospital discharge planning, using some intensive work with pilot sites. The project focuses on prevention and improved outcomes for carers of all ages from all backgrounds and communities, thus reducing hospital readmission for their loved ones.
In particular we are looking at how to raise awareness of carers by hospital teams quickly after admission, and how to support teams and carers when patients are discharged to reduce the risk of readmission.
What makes this project different and likely to find solutions that can be sustained longer-term:
- funding for hospital liaison workers to work directly with a variety of in-patient services, delivering quality interactive and engaging training shaped from the voices of carers and health professionals.
- using these contacts to build a network of Carers Champions within hospital teams who will sustain the good practice
- designing quality resources that health professionals say they need to encourage carers to self-identify
- working in partnership with Derbyshire County Council, Derby City Council, and other carer organisations to also improve the community offer for carers
What are we hoping to achieve by end of this project? We will have a model for hospitals to support carers, and improved resources for professionals and carers, to ensure that staff are recognising and supporting carers of all ages and backgrounds. Carers will be identified and will be informed from the point of admission, be involved in treatment and discharge plans, will know their rights, and have improved access to community support that promotes their health and wellbeing and those who they help look after.
If you have any questions about the H-Connect project or you would like to share your experience and ideas of this innovative work taking place at Derbyshire Carers Association, get in touch with Stephanie.smith@derbyshirecarers.co.uk
We would like to thank the funders of this project, The Department of Health and Social Care.
