Medicine
Home for 1pm
Year on year increased numbers of attendances to the Emergency Department, increased risk of
delay in clinical treatment, poor patient experiences as a result of long waits for inpatient admission
and increased workload for nursing staff during the out of hours period, are only some of the well
referenced reasons why improving discharge rates before lunch time can have a massive positive
effect for both staff and patient experience.
In early 2017, the Medical Assessment Unit, Ulster Hospital Team, identified a number of
improvement ideas to facilitate the earlier discharge of patients from the ward.
Throughout the year these improvement ideas were tested and re-tested and improvements
recognised into practice.
The patient experience was also tested to better understand their concept of discharge processes.
We are proud to say that this work has been designed by our staff and has proved to make a
difference to our patients. The success of this work is credited to the ward sister, medical and
nursing staff and the wider multidisciplinary team, who recognise the benefits of earlier discharge
for both patients and staff.
We are continuing to support the Medical Assessment Unit on this journey of improvement and are
now ready to spread this bundle to five other pilot wards including Ward 1 Downe Hospital, Ward 1B
Lagan Valley Hospital, Ward 17, Ward 3B and Ward 5C Ulster Hospital.
Achievements:
January 2018 - December 2018
Medicine 30