Length of Stay and Discharge
We co-ordinate regional support and events to deliver national length of stay and hospital discharge ambitions to maximise patient flow and reduce bed occupancy.
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How we achieve our outcomes
We work across London to reduce length of stay and increase patient flow in the following ways:
- We help run associated improvement programmes to support Trusts and systems to identify consistent areas of challenge
- Ensure consistent application of D2A models
- Support systems to maximise the number of patients discharged, who no longer meet the criteria to reside
- Thematic reviews regionally of reasons reported for delays to discharge using national reporting metrics
- Review discharge data with a focus on improvement, with a collaborative approach to understanding reasons for discharge and how can they be resolved
- Maintain daily ICS calls to review discharge data and identify pressure points in discharge capacity
- Support national returns and webinars on discharge flow, bed utilisation & bed audit for patients not meeting the criteria to reside
- Embed and maintain Capacity Tracker to ensure accurate and up to date view of discharge capacity
- Respond to national policy changes ensuring regional dissemination and supporting delivery through improvement activity
- Coordinate regional support and events to deliver the new national ambitions/reduction targets on hospital discharge in order to maximise patient flow and improve discharge flows and reduce bed occupancy
- Support systems and clinical leaders with access to improvement training and support
How we work
The Discharge/Length of Stay (LOS) programme sits within the Health Care in the Community cell. The programme is led by Helen Pettersen Executive Director, NHSE/I Recovery & OOH Cell – COVID 19.
We aim to support ICSs and Local Authorities to achieve high standards of discharge planning and transfer of care across the system, develop and improve discharge pathways for hospital patients. Our focus is on supporting local teams with the following in line with the National Discharge Policy:
- Discharge and LOS monitoring
- Hospital Discharge Funding support
- Alliance 16 programme
- Trusts of focus improvement work
- Specialist rehab pathways
- Support the consistent application of Discharge to Assess (D2A) models/ Home First
- Inter dependencies with other programmes under health and community cell including urgent community response and enhanced health in care homes programme
Who we work with
We collaborate and cooperate with organisations at national and local level to improve patient outcomes and respond to the national policy changes, ensuring regional dissemination and supporting delivery through improvement activity.
Strengthening interfaces and collaborative working between care in the community services and with other sectors via ICSs and wider recovery cells. Our key partners include
- Emergency Care Improvement Support Team (ECIST)
- Better Care Fund (BCF)
- Association of Directors of Adult Social Care (ADASS)
- Voluntary Sector and Continuing Healthcare (CHC)