February 24, 2023
Wakefield District integrated approach to hospital discharge shortlisted for national award
The system-wide approach to supporting more local people to get out of hospital and back to the place they call home, faster, has been shortlisted in this year’s LGC Awards.
Transfer of care out of hospital, or discharge, is one of the Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership’s key priorities, and partners from across the system have worked together over the last 12 months to implement a series of new or improved processes and services to help people who no longer need hospital care to safely get back home to recover in their own surroundings.
The work has been shortlisted in the Health and Social Care category of the 2023 LGC Awards, which celebrates partnership working between health and social care organisations to improve services and experiences of care for local people.
Latest figures show that the number of people able to be discharged from hospital rose by 11 per cent in the last six months of 2022. The monthly average number of discharges for people who no longer needed medical treatment or care at the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust increased from 1,879 to 2,118 in the second half of 2022 compared with the first six months.
Initiatives include the development of the multidisciplinary Integrated Transfer of Care (ITOC) Hub, with representatives from all partners, including housing and voluntary sector, co-located at Pinderfields Hospital; the introduction of the Night Response Service which is providing enhanced support to those who need help overnight; and the complex care pathway which aims to significantly reduce length of hospital stay for people living with dementia.
Cllr Maureen Cummings Cabinet Member for Communities, Poverty and Health, said:
“Our aim is to have no one in hospital who does not need to be there, and to offer people the support they need in the right place at the right time.
“Although the landscape of hospital discharge continues to be extremely challenging, the figures show that there have already been some clear improvements in the outcomes for people in Wakefield District.”
Jo Webster, Accountable Officer for the Wakefield District Health and Care Partnership, said:
“Over the course of the last year we’ve seen discharges steadily increasing and a decrease in the length of stay for people once they are ready to be discharged. There is much more to do, but we are very proud of what we’ve achieved together to date and are delighted that our work has been recognised by this nomination.”
The work has been shortlisted for the national award in the Health and Social Care category. The winners will be announced in June.
