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Hospital Carer Discharge Meeting – July 2026 Update

By Matthew McKenzie – Chair of Carers Hospital Discharge group

Thanks to everyone who attended our July Hospital Carer Discharge Meeting. We welcomed representatives from NHS trusts, local authorities, carers organisations, Healthwatch, and voluntary sector partners from across London. As always, the purpose of the meeting was to share developments, learn from each other’s work, and strengthen collaboration to improve hospital experiences and discharge planning for unpaid carers.

Although every organisation is at a different stage of development, one message came through very clearly: supporting unpaid carers is becoming an increasingly important priority across hospitals, councils and the NHS.

A Strong Focus on Earlier Carer Identification

One of the recurring themes throughout the meeting was the importance of identifying carers as early as possible during a patient’s hospital journey.

Many hospitals continue to recognise that carers are often identified too late—sometimes only when discharge is already taking place. Earlier identification allows staff to:

  • involve carers in care planning
  • understand the practical support available at home
  • recognise carers’ own support needs
  • prevent unsafe or delayed discharges
  • improve communication between hospital teams and families.

Lewisham & Greenwich NHS Trust provided an update on its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) designed to improve the identification and involvement of unpaid carers. Although implementation has been delayed because of competing organisational priorities, the framework remains in place and includes:

  • earlier identification of carers on admission
  • recording carers within hospital systems
  • involving carers in discharge planning
  • ensuring carers understand care needs following discharge
  • connecting carers with local authority assessments and community support.

Alongside this, the Trust continues reviewing its Carers Charter and strengthening relationships with voluntary organisations across Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley to improve partnership working. Training for ward staff is also beginning with support from local councils to improve awareness of carers and available services.

This demonstrates that improving hospital discharge is not simply about creating new policies, but embedding carer awareness throughout everyday clinical practice.

Excellent Examples of Partnership Working

Several organisations shared encouraging examples of collaboration across health and social care.

The North Central London Carer Support Project described a wide range of initiatives already underway across several NHS trusts.

These include:

  • weekly co-delivered carer awareness sessions with Camden Carers at University College London Hospital
  • regular online training sessions at Whittington Hospital attracting around forty staff members each session
  • development of an e-learning programme for professionals working with carers
  • greater involvement of patient experience teams in monitoring referrals to carers organisations.

Particularly encouraging was the decision to begin monitoring hospital referral numbers to carers organisations as a performance measure. Measuring referrals each month provides a practical way of understanding whether carers are actually being identified and connected to support rather than relying solely on policy documents.

Camden Carers also highlighted continued outreach into GP surgeries through dedicated engagement work, recognising that many carers first come into contact with primary care long before hospital admission.

Learning from Cancer Carers

Healthwatch representatives shared plans for a significant research project exploring the experiences of carers supporting someone with cancer. The study is expected to begin later this year and will gather the views of carers across several London boroughs before producing recommendations for NHS trusts and publishing the findings publicly. The aim is to better understand what is working well for carers, where support can be strengthened, and how healthcare services can respond more effectively to the realities faced by those caring for someone undergoing cancer treatment.

The discussion highlighted the importance of ensuring that the voices of unpaid carers are heard throughout the research process. Caring for someone with cancer can involve navigating complex treatment pathways, managing appointments across multiple services, providing emotional support, and balancing caring responsibilities alongside work and family life. Research such as this provides an opportunity to capture those lived experiences and translate them into practical recommendations that can improve communication, discharge planning, access to information, and the support available to carers across NHS services.

As Chair of the Cancer Caregiver Forum, I also highlighted opportunities for researchers and NHS organisations to work more closely with existing cancer carer networks to ensure lived experience remains central to future improvements.

Hospital Discharge Remains a National Priority

Several organisations reflected on how hospital discharge continues to be one of the biggest concerns raised by unpaid carers.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital explained that feedback from carers is regularly discussed through its Patient Experience Group, with hospital discharge continuing to be one of the most common issues raised by families. Representatives acknowledged that while significant work has taken place, there remains more to do to ensure carers are consistently recognised, listened to, and involved throughout a patient’s stay in hospital.

The Trust also highlighted the important role that carers play in shaping future improvements. By regularly hearing directly from carers through patient experience forums, the hospital is building a better understanding of the practical challenges families face before, during and after discharge. Although their Carers Lead was unable to attend this meeting, the Trust expressed a strong commitment to continuing engagement with regional partners and learning from initiatives taking place across London to strengthen discharge planning and carer support.

Richmond Carers Centre

Richmond Carers Centre reported strong referral links with Kingston Hospital, particularly through dementia services, while also developing opportunities for joint education sessions where hospital staff and carers can better understand each other’s experiences of discharge planning.

Alongside its close working relationship with Kingston Hospital, Richmond Carers Centre continues to raise professional awareness across the borough, encouraging more organisations to identify unpaid carers and refer them for support. The team reflected on ideas gathered from national conferences, including improving engagement with diverse communities and strengthening links with GP practices and Primary Care Networks. Although capacity remains a challenge, Richmond Carers Centre continues to explore new ways of increasing visibility so that carers receive information, advice and emotional support as early as possible rather than only after a hospital discharge has taken place.

Universal Care Plan and Care Contingency Plan (UCP/CCP)

An important update was shared regarding the Universal Care Plan (UCP) and Care Contingency Plan (CCP), which are being developed through NHS England to improve how carers are identified and supported across health services. Attendees heard that the programme is currently being piloted in London and aims to allow unpaid carers to record emergency contingency arrangements and important caring information digitally through the NHS App and GP systems. The long-term ambition is for this information to be accessible across different parts of the NHS, helping professionals better understand both the needs of the person receiving care and the vital role played by their unpaid carer. Representatives who attended the recent NHS England workshop described the programme as a positive and promising development, with training opportunities expected to become available as the rollout progresses.

The discussion also highlighted that increasing awareness will be just as important as the technology itself. Many carers remain unaware that care planning and contingency planning can help prepare for emergencies where they may suddenly be unable to provide care. By encouraging hospitals, GP practices and carers organisations to promote the Universal Care Plan and Care Contingency Plan, there is an opportunity to improve continuity of care, reduce avoidable crises, and ensure that carers’ knowledge and wishes are better recognised within the wider health and care system. As these initiatives develop, organisations across London will have an important role in helping carers understand how to access and make effective use of these new digital planning tools.

Southwark Council

Southwark Council also described ongoing partnership work with Guy’s & St Thomas’ and King’s College Hospital. King’s College Hospital is currently developing a Care and Support Navigator service designed to support patients while they remain on waiting lists, assist with discharge planning, and improve signposting into community services once patients return home.

The Council explained that while its refreshed Carers Strategy is not solely focused on hospital discharge, close partnership working with local NHS trusts remains a key priority. Through the Southwark Carer Collaborative, which meets quarterly with representatives from King’s College Hospital and Guy’s & St Thomas’, organisations are sharing developments, identifying opportunities for joint working, and ensuring carers remain firmly on the agenda. Southwark also confirmed that the newly launched Cross-Government Unpaid Carers Action Plan is already helping to inform the direction of its refreshed strategy, demonstrating how national policy is beginning to influence local planning and partnership working.

National Developments – A Significant Moment for Unpaid Carers

Perhaps the most significant national development discussed during the meeting was the publication of the UK Government’s first Cross-Departmental Unpaid Carers Action Plan, launched on early July.

Although many details will continue developing over the coming months, the plan represents an important step because responsibility for unpaid carers is now being considered across multiple government departments rather than solely within health and social care.

Key priorities include:

  • improving identification of unpaid carers
  • increasing referrals into carers support services
  • strengthening employment support for working carers
  • making greater use of digital systems including the NHS App.

Alongside this sits the development of the Universal Care Plan and Carers Contingency Plan. Early pilots suggest these tools could allow carers to record emergency contingency arrangements and important caring information digitally, making that information more accessible across health services when needed. Training opportunities are expected to become available as the programme expands.

Looking Ahead

Although considerable progress is being made, many of the discussions reinforced that improving hospital discharge requires sustained partnership between NHS trusts, councils, carers organisations and, most importantly, unpaid carers themselves.

Future meetings will continue sharing practical examples of good practice, highlighting successful projects, and identifying opportunities for organisations to learn from one another.

At our September meeting we look forward to welcoming Carers UK, who will provide regarding hospitals and unpaid carers.

Thank you once again to everyone who contributed to the July meeting. Your willingness to share ideas, successes and challenges continues to strengthen our collective efforts to ensure unpaid carers are recognised, valued and fully involved throughout the hospital discharge process.

Hospital Carers Discharge Meeting Update July 2025

Posted: July 2025
By: Matthew McKenzie

In July 2025, we held another meeting of the London Hospital Discharge Carers Forum, which brings together carer centres, NHS professionals, and lived experienced unpaid carers to explore how we can better support unpaid carers through the complex hospital discharge journey.

With key developments shared, questions raised, and future opportunities on the table, I’m sharing this blog to ensure everyone is informed.

A Focus on Hospital Discharge but With Carers at the Centre

The forum continues to highlight how vital carer centres are in delivering effective, compassionate discharge support. But alongside that recognition comes rising expectations: better digital access, stronger links with acute hospital teams, more formal involvement in care planning, and even new digital tools to manage carer identity and input.

Our role is growing and so is the need for collective visibility and coordinated action.

Key Themes from July’s Discussion

1. NHS England Hospital Discharge Toolkit & Care Contingency Plan
As an involved carer, I delivered the NHS England update. The main message? The Care Contingency Plan (CCP) is becoming a key focus across the system. There are planning sessions due in September, and carer centres might be asked whether they can take on CCP delivery alongside existing carers assessments.

This triggered a crucial question: Will additional funding or contractual support be offered to carer centres taking on CCPs? because we can’t afford to quietly absorb additional workload without clarity on resources or expectations.

2. Digital Tools – NHS App & Carer Self-Identification
With the growing digitisation of NHS services, there are plans to enable carers to self-identify via a digital route. The Universal Care Plan (UCP) is being built into the NHS app, but there’s confusion about whether a separate “carer app” is being developed too.

We’ve asked NHS England for clarification: Will carers be expected to use one NHS app to manage both contingency plans and carer registration, or will multiple systems be introduced? The answer will have implications for how we support carers with digital skills and accessibility.

3. The Bigger Picture – NHS 10-Year Plan and Local Adaptation
We explored how the new 10-Year NHS Plan mentions carers primarily in the context of discharge, but offers little in terms of direct support or investment in carers themselves. Several carer centres raised concerns about being seen only as a means to improve discharge outcomes, rather than as partners in their own right.

That said, some centres are using the plan as an opportunity, working with local Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to adapt and influence how the priorities are rolled out locally, including integration with neighbourhood health centres and walk-in clinics.

Peer Learning and Local Centre Updates

As always, our meeting included practical insights from carer centres embedded in local hospitals. Topics included:

  • Establishing hospital-based carer hubs and information desks.
  • Hosting monthly drop-ins for carers on specific wards (e.g. stroke and frailty).
  • Using ward rounds to identify and build relationships with staff willing to act as carer champions.
  • Overcoming challenges in gaining visibility, sustaining presence, or maintaining resource levels for in-hospital work.
  • Planning carers coffee mornings and pop-up stands to increase footfall and engagement.

For newer hospital-based carer workers, this space proved invaluable as a place to learn from colleagues, gather ideas, and avoid isolation.

Project Developments: What Centres Need to Know

Several borough-wide and London-wide initiatives are taking shape that could directly affect how carer centres operate in coming months:

  • A standard operating procedure for hospital discharge, currently being developed across South East London, is aiming to streamline how carers are engaged at discharge, with pilot sites starting this September.
  • In North Central London, work is underway on a web portal that makes it easier for hospital and emergency staff to refer carers into local support services including from the London Ambulance Service.
  • Carer Centres in several areas are starting or refreshing carer charters, carer passports, and surveys designed to codify carer involvement and measure experience across hospital pathways.
  • Carer support workers at one major South London hospital are re-establishing visibility post-staff transition. Efforts are underway to build new ward-level relationships and identify carer champions among staff. The centre is also exploring monthly carer drop-ins, asking the group for ideas on what works well and what doesn’t.
  • One East London carer centre has established a hospital-based hub on a specific ward floor, acting as a go-to space for carers needing support or information. They also run monthly drop-in sessions on elderly/frailty and stroke wards conditions where family involvement in discharge planning is often critical.

These projects are at different stages, but all point to one thing: carer centres are being asked to operate more visibly, more formally, and more digitally. It’s essential we shape this process and not just respond to it.

With NHS England’s CCP work moving fast and carer integration into digital systems ramping up, carer centres can no longer afford to remain on the sidelines.

  • We have a chance to be informed of policy changes early not after implementation.
  • Carer centres and hospitals can raise concerns about workload, training, and funding before it’s too late.
  • Newer or isolated workers benefit from collective knowledge-sharing and support.

This is not just another meeting, it’s one of the few cross-borough forums focused squarely on carer centres in the acute hospital context.

Looking Ahead: September Session

Our next meeting will be held usually the last week of September.

Let’s not let carers be an afterthought. Let’s make sure carer centres are seen, heard, and properly resourced.