Carers experiences of hospital discharge – would you be interested in sharing your views with researchers at Northumbria University? Yes – read on!

VONNE (Voluntary Organisations’ Network North East) has commissioned researchers to explore carers’ experiences of hospital discharge from acute Trusts in the North East of England. 

This will then inform the co-production of a tool kit to support NHS acute trusts to apply a personalised care approach to support carers during the discharge process. The project will take place between April and December 2022. 

Who can become involved? Anyone who has been a carer for someone discharged from an acute hospital trust within the past 2 years. You may still be caring, or you may no longer be needed to undertake that role.

What does being involved mean? There are lots of ways you can become involved depending on what time you have available – you could take part in an interview or you could join a steering group. Please get in touch and we will be delighted to tell you more about the options.

Will I be compensated for my time? Yes, reimbursement will be offered. We may also be able to offer some funding if you need to make alternative arrangements for the person you care for.

Do the researchers want to know about any specific type of experience? We are keen to know about all types of experience whether it is good or if you think it could be improved.

Will participation be online or face to face? It will mostly be online, but we are happy to explore whatever options work best for you.

What if my caring responsibilities change and my availability changes? Please be assured that we recognise your caring responsibilities are the priority and we offer maximum flexibility to accommodate them.

If you would like to know more – your views are key to trying to make sure carers views inform discharge planning processes – please contact the research team at mitchell.j.hogg@northumbria.ac.uk.