The National Audit Office conducted a study to examine whether the health and social care sectors are effectively managing the discharge of older patients from acute hospitals, focusing in particular on whether acute hospitals are minimising the delays throughout the older patient pathway, enabling them to discharge patients as soon as possible.
The submission features learning from four frontline projects within the RCP’s Future Hospital Programme which are improving, delivering and designing medical care for frail older people presenting at hospital.
Summary
- Building capacity within the NHS ensures there is the right number of doctors to care for patients.
- Ensure that patients have access to the care they need when they need it, reduce number of admissions through multidisciplinary team working.
- Improve integration between hospital and community settings to ensure that transition of care is as smooth as possible.
- Taking a whole service approach in service design will improve coordination and discharge of services.
- Greater interoperability of data systems will improve patient experience and transition of care.
- New ways of working including telemedicine will help prevent admission and readmission of care.
Contact
For more information please contact Rachael Truswell, public affairs adviser, on rachael.truswell@rcplondon.ac.uk.