Debbie Harris of Autumna and Natasha Bradley from the Inform Team discuss the pressing issue of bed blocking in the NHS and explore solutions to expedite hospital discharge processes.
Debbie argues that simply adding more beds won't solve the problem without first ensuring patients' timely and appropriate discharge. She likens the situation to having a "cork in the NHS bottle," causing a chain reaction that affects A&E admissions, ambulance availability, and planned operations.
Key points from the conversation include:
1. Main Issue with Discharges: The primary issue is not the number of beds but ensuring patients leave hospital promptly once medically fit, to free up space for new admissions.
2. Current Discharge Challenges: Identifying appropriate care placements for elderly patients is a significant hurdle, often delaying discharge by weeks. An Autumna survey shows families reporting an average wait of 31 days to find suitable care after medical clearance.
3. Autumna's Solution: Autumna offers an online assessment tool for hospitals called DAD (Dashboard for Accelerated Discharge) that streamlines the process of finding care homes or home care. The tool quickly gathers necessary details about patient needs and sends pre-filtered enquiries to relevant care providers within seconds, significantly reducing the wait time. A consumer version of the tool is available for any care seeker to try here: www.autumna.co.uk/free-shortl...
4. Efficiency Over Manual Processes: Traditional manual processes involve nurses calling care homes individually, which can take days. Autumna's digital solution automates this, providing accurate and rapid responses from care providers.
5. Technology Integration: The tool operates seven days a week, preventing weekend delays, and can be integrated into hospital systems for seamless operation. Notifications can be targeted to ensure they reach the right person, enhancing responsiveness.
6. Wider Impact of Delays: Delayed discharges affect multiple patients across the healthcare system, from those waiting in A&E to those needing ambulance services.
7. Support Across the Country: Autumna is working with various hospitals, social workers, and discharge teams nationwide to implement this tool and improve discharge times.
8. Future Prospects: The conversation highlights the potential of digital solutions in bridging gaps between social care and hospital discharge processes, emphasising the need for ongoing digitalisation in social care.
Debbie emphasises that Autumna's policy of not accepting referral fees from care providers allows it to address the whole sector-not just those willing to pay for patients’ details. This ensures unbiased, person-centred recommendations, focusing solely on finding the best care solutions for care seekers, thereby expediting the discharge process and alleviating pressure on the NHS.
To find more information on Autumna's care home and domicilliary care finding service: www.autumna.co.uk/contact-us/
To find more information on digital transformation with The Inform Team: www.theinformteam.com/contact/