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Building on the work of the taskforce and the learning from the 14 NHS pilot sites and 12 social care sites that the taskforce has supported to date, 10 best practice initiatives have been identified that demonstrably improve flow and should be implemented in every trust and system to improve discharge.
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1
Identify patients needing complex discharge support early
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2
Ensure multi-disciplinary engagement in early discharge plan
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3
Set expected date of discharge (EDD)
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4
Ensure consistency of process, personnel and documentation in ward rounds
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5
Apply 7 day working to enable discharge of patients during the weekend
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6
Treat delayed discharge as a potential harm event
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7
Streamline operation of transfer of care hubs
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8
Develop demand and capacity modelling for local and community systems
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9
Establish flexible surge workforce capacity
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10
Revise intermediate care strategies to optimise recovery and rehabilitation