Why are we doing this study?

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.

For each patient a letter is sent from the hospital to their GP. This should explain the care that has been provided, and what needs to be done in the weeks and months ahead. There are problems with how many of these letters are managed, and one in thirteen older patients are harmed as a result (over 400,000 patients in England each year). Harms are usually mild, but sometimes include; having to go back into hospital, organ damage and even early death.

Older patients and their carers have a key role to play in preventing these errors and harms. GP-MATE will be designed to help them take a more active role in their general practice care after coming home from hospital. It will help empower them to do so with greater success.

How are we doing this?

This study is led by patients and carers who will be involved at all stages of the study through a PPI-E panel. This will help to ensure GP-MATE is both useful to and useable by, patients and carers.

Co-production = Patients, carers, healthcare staff and researchers working together to produce something of benefit to all concerned.

Two patient events have explored the importance of this topic and informed the research design.

How are the public involved?

This study is led by patients and carers who will be involved at all stages of the study through a PPI-E panel. This will help to ensure GP-MATE is both useful to and useable by, patients and carers. Two patient events have explored the importance of this topic and informed the research design.

How are we feeding back?

We will share the research findings with health service and academic groups through publications, reports and presentations. Results will be made public to patients via our unit PPI-E newsletter and our Unit webpage – watch this space! Wider impact will come from working with University, NHS and charities’ (e.g. AgeUK) media teams. NHS publications for patients will be approached in both hospitals and general practice.