Published 10 September 2026
The Care Quality Commission has published its 2025 adult inpatient survey, and while most measures of hospital care improved, the part that matters most to people who need equipment or adaptations once they get home did not. Almost a quarter of respondents, 24 per cent, felt they did not get enough support from health or social care services to help them recover or manage their condition after leaving hospital. That is slightly worse than the 23 per cent recorded in 2024.
The survey, carried out by Picker on behalf of the CQC and published on 26 August 2026, collected responses from more than 58,000 people who spent at least one night in one of 130 acute and specialist NHS trusts in England during November 2025. It has run annually since 2002, so the year-on-year comparisons are meaningful rather than a snapshot.
The discharge numbers
Three findings stand out. One in five respondents who thought it was necessary, 21 per cent, said hospital staff did not involve their family or carers in decisions about leaving hospital at all, with a further 17 per cent saying they were “not very much” involved. Twenty-two per cent said staff did not discuss whether they would need further health and social care services after leaving, but would have liked them to, a figure the CQC says has not significantly changed since 2024. And the 24 per cent who did not get enough post-discharge support is the headline the regulator itself leads on.
Dr Toli Onon, the CQC’s Chief Inspector of Hospitals, described the lack of progress on discharge arrangements and post-discharge support as “disappointing”, while noting that most people surveyed reported positively about their interactions with hospital staff.
The wider picture is better. Seventy-nine per cent said they always had confidence and trust in the nurses treating them, up from 78 per cent. Seventy-seven per cent said doctors always included them in conversations about their care, up from 76 per cent. The proportion who felt there were always enough nurses on duty rose to 59 per cent, continuing an upward trend since 2022, when it was 52 per cent.
Who reported the worst experiences
The survey found that people living with frailty and those admitted as an emergency reported worse than average experiences across all 20 questions analysed. Respondents with a disability, dementia or Alzheimer’s, or a neurological condition also reported worse than average experiences across many areas, including confidence and trust in the doctors and nurses treating them.
That is the group most likely to need a stairlift, a raised toilet seat, a perching stool or a bed lever within days of getting home. It is also the group the survey says is least likely to have had that conversation before discharge.
What to do if the conversation did not happen
If you or a relative are being discharged and no one has raised equipment or adaptations, you can ask for a care needs assessment from the local council’s adult social care team, and, separately, an occupational therapy assessment. Councils have a duty to assess, and small items of equipment are often provided free through community equipment services after an OT assessment. For larger work, such as a level-access shower, a ramp or a stairlift, the Disabled Facilities Grant route runs through the local housing authority and is means tested for adults, though it is not means tested for a disabled child.
Waiting lists for council-funded adaptations can be long, which is why many families buy privately in the interim. If you are going down that route, it is worth understanding what things actually cost before you speak to anyone: our guides to stairlift costs, wheelchair costs and bathroom mobility equipment set out typical UK price ranges. Stairlift rental is also worth considering where the need is expected to be temporary, for example after a hip or knee replacement.
For everyday items that make the first weeks at home easier, from bed rails to kettle tippers, our daily living aids guide covers what is available and roughly what it costs.
Related guides on Review Mobility
- How much does a stairlift cost in the UK?
- Bathroom mobility equipment
- Daily living aids
- Stairlift rental explained
- Find a mobility company near you
Sources: Care Quality Commission, national survey shows improvements in people’s hospital experiences, although concerns remain around discharge arrangements, published 26 August 2026, accessed 10 September 2026. See also the adult inpatient survey 2025 results pages. Reported by THIIS Magazine, 1 September 2026.
Published 10 September 2026