The self-discharge of patients from Accident and Emergency is a serious concern. It is an indicator that patients are not receiving the care that they need, despite being more unwell than people in the general population.
Pathway have collated data from several sources (including Pathway hospital teams data) to produce this paper on the high rate of self-discharge which suggests that the average self-discharge rate from Accident and Emergency department settings is 16.2%.
That means that 1 in 6 times that a person experiencing homelessness attends A&E, they are not receiving care. Evidence is limited regarding self-discharge rates in the general population, but it is likely that this is around 4 times the rate of the general population.
Pathway teams always try to support patients to stay in hospital and complete their treatment wherever this is possible.
Download the report, which includes what has been learned about effective and appropriate responses to improve care in this area, below.
You can also download ‘Top Tips for improving care in the Accident and Emergency department’.
Pathway has produced an E Learning package and other resources to support people experiencing homelessness in the Accident and Emergency department.