Campaign to help patients avoid long hospital stays

A campaign to help patients avoid lengthy spells in hospital has been launched.

It will see posters and other information placed in hospitals aimed at different staff groups, encouraging them to take practical steps to get patients closer to a safe discharge – whether to their own home or a more suitable alternative in the community.

The campaign called ‘Where Best Next?’ aims to see around 140,000 people every year spared a hospital stay of three weeks or more.

NHS medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, said: “I know how hard frontline NHS staff and their council colleagues have worked hard over the last year to reduce delays in discharging patients, but we want to ensure that all patients benefit from the shortest possible stay on a ward, getting home as soon as they are fit to leave with the support they need.

“Not only is that better for them, reducing the risk of infection or loss of mobility for older people in particular, but it also means that more beds are available for others who need care too, easing pressure on A&E and other parts of the system.”

Nearly 350,000 patients currently spend over three weeks in acute hospitals each year.

Many of those are older people who are often frail, and while a short period of treatment in hospital is sometimes necessary, staying too long can leave them vulnerable to infections or deconditioning.

The campaign, developed in partnership with Royal Colleges, the Local Government Association and patient groups like Age UK, will focus on reminding ward staff of five principles when planning care:

1) Planning for discharge from the point someone is admitted, and ensuring that plan is shared with the whole team and the patient;
2)  Involving patients and their families in discharge decisions, and telling them the benefits of leaving hospital at the right time;
3) Identifying frail patients as soon as possible and making a specific plan for their care;
4) Having weekly multi-disciplinary team reviews for all long stay patients, and;
5) Encouraging a ‘home first’ approach, including assessing people at home where possible.