Lead: Dr Rachel Spencer
Dates: April 2021 – March 2025
Background:
Being discharged from hospital carries risks. Older people who often have complex ongoing health needs are most at risk, and with over 5 million patients aged 75 or older coming home from English hospitals each year this is an increasingly serious issue.
Method:
ARC West Midlands aims to make and test an approach (‘GP-MATE’) to assist older patients and their carers to discuss with their GP practice their care after coming home from hospital. This is to make care safer and prevent mistakes from occurring. Patients and carers will be closely involved in all stages of developing GP-MATE. We are halfway through our study and are just beginning to test our co-designed GP-MATE in general practices in the West Midlands. When we have tested it and designed pathways to help it work in general practices, we may take it forward to a clinical trial. Follow our progress here: GP-MATE