Agenda item

Michaela Cox, Service Manager, NAS, and Maxine Dennis, Director of Operations, TRFT

Further to Minute No. 42 of 12^th September, 2013, Michaela Cox, Service Manager, and Maxine Dennis, RFT,  presented an update on the action plan in response to the recommendations arising from the spotlight review that had taken place in 2013. 

The recommendations had been welcomed and addressed through effective joint work between NHS Rotherham and the Council with good progress having been made in addressing the recommendations.

The potential for unsafe discharges had reduced.  The Care Co-ordination Centre and the Hospital had done a lot of work on managing how it planned and co-ordinated discharge including talking and having written communication to both patients and carers about predicted date of discharge.

An update on the actions was appended to the report the majority of which were now complete.  Maxine highlighted the following:-

-          In 2013 there were approximately 75,000 attendees at the Emergency Department every year together with 70-75,000 admissions both elective and non-elective.  To put into context there had been 33 complaints regarding delayed discharges in 2013/14 and 49 in 2012/13

-          The Trust was in the process of, through work with the Emergency Care and Intensive Support Team, implementing SAFER Care Bundle which had addressed some concerns.  It pre-empted discharge problems and involved talking to patients about their predicted date of discharge and having written communication with patients and relatives.  It had already been implemented on the Medical Wards

-          The Community Transformation Programme was under way

-          A report on the Care Co-ordination Centre and the Supported Discharge Service, which included an assessment tool for risk of hospital admission, was being compiled

-          The hospital and patient agreed a time for a post discharge follow up call within 72 hours of discharge

-          Out of 70 patients discharged only 2 had been re-admitted

-          The Care Co-ordination Centre worked until 10.00 p.m. with some cover at weekends.  It was hoped to run it 24 hours a day as it was a good single point of access.

-          The Operational Discharges Group had now been replaced by a Forum that met 3 times a week including Hospital and Social Services colleagues to review delayed discharges and operational issues.  Continuing Health Care colleagues joined the Forum once a week.  Currently developing a Discharge to Assess model which would support earlier discharge whilst ensuring a robust assessment process.  There were a number of patients in hospital who required a complex assessment process prior to discharge.  A pilot was to be launched of 14 beds in the community where the patients could go whilst the assessment process was completed rather than stay in hospital. Patient choice is important as choices can effectively be rest of life choices.

Resolved:-  (1)  That the report be noted.

(2) That a further update, including details of the Community Transformation Programme, be submitted in January, 2015,

(3) That the following information be submitted to Members:

- Up-to-date figures for delayed discharges and complaints relating to discharges

- Report on Care Co-ordination Centre

- Information about the SAFER care bundle