Fewer patients delayed from leaving hospital in Warwickshire
21 August 2018
Sustained efforts from organisations across the health and social care system in Warwickshire have halved the number of delayed discharges for hospital patients over the last year.
A report from Warwickshire’s DToC (Delayed Transfer of Care) Project Board shows that the average number of daily beds occupied by a Warwickshire patient delayed in hospital has reduced from 85 in June 2017 to less than 40 in June 2018.
Over the last eight weeks this good performance has been sustained, with delays below or close to the target, as the result of a range of activities, improved communications and closer partnership working.
Speaking on behalf of health and social care services in Warwickshire, Warwickshire’s Health and Wellbeing Board Chair, Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE said: "We recognise how challenging it is to reduce delayed transfers of care, particularly when we are seeing increasing numbers of admissions and of an acute nature.
“Despite this, health and social care colleagues across all nine acute and community sites, along with domiciliary (home care) and residential and nursing home providers, have worked tirelessly to discharge patients safely.”
The most significant improvements have been at the three main acute sites ~ Warwick Hospital, George Eliot Hospital, and University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire ~ where partners have been working hard to educate teams and patients about the deterioration which can take place if a frail elderly person spends too long in hospital.
The focus has been to support people to return to their usual place of residence as soon as they are ready to do so.
The challenge for partners now is to maintain this improvement whilst continuing to reduce the number of days patients are delayed elsewhere in the system.
The DToC (Delayed Transfer of Care) project is part of ‘Better Together’, a Warwickshire initiative funded by the national Better Care Fund - the first time government funding has been ring-fenced for NHS and social care integration.
‘Better Together’ is building stronger working relationships between Warwickshire County Council, the five district and borough councils in Warwickshire, three regional Integrated Care Boards and major local health service providers.
Its remit is to deliver better care and a better experience for all involved in the county’s health and social care system - not only those directly receiving services, but also their families, carers and the staff delivering those services.
Press release from Warwickshire County Council.