More than nine in ten care providers want the government to reform the hospital discharge process, according to a survey by care directory Autumna.

The survey of more than 500 care homes and home care agencies found that 93% of care providers would like to see reform of the process.

Even care providers who have a positive relationship with their local hospital discharge teams want to see change, with 85% calling for reform.

Around a quarter (24%) of respondents said on average it took more than a week for patients declared fit to leave hospital to be discharged into their care, while 7% said it took three weeks or more.

Debbie Harris, Autumna founder and managing director, said the survey revealed a system failing due to “poor relationships caused by poor communication”.

“Our findings are a wake-up call to Keir Starmer and Wes Streeting that the system is broken and urgently needs reforming,” she said. “The pressures are only going to get worse as our population gets older, so we need to fix the system now, before it completely breaks down.”

Autumna’s Hospital Discharge Report: Care Providers’ Perspectives also finds that almost half (48.7%) of care providers do not feel the hospital discharge teams understand the care they offer, while a third (33.4%) say they can’t talk to discharge teams when they need to.

Professor Martin Green, Care England’s chief executive, said: “Autumna’s Hospital Discharge Report clearly outlines a system that is failing and will only get worse unless remedial action is taken. However, this report also highlights the fact that there are solutions, and if people worked effectively with the social care sector and gave it the needed resources, the solutions would be easily and readily available.”

Mike Padgham, chairman of the Independent Care Group (ICG), said: “This is the latest in a long line of reports that paint a bleak and unacceptable picture for people who need care.”