Discharge Lounge for the Island

By Charles Ballard Tue, 10 July 2012 2:43PM

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Patients waiting for Discharge to gain new area

From the 24 July patients awaiting a discharge will be sent to the Newchurch ward where a ‘discharge’ lounge is set to open.

The hope is that this new area will free up space for those due to arrive.

Now on the day that a patient is due to be discharged they will be transfferd to the lounge by 9 am. There they can wait whether it be for a relative or transfer to home.

As it stands 85% of patients are discharged in the afternoon according to Isle of Wight NHS trust.

The shift in time will hopefully allow beds to be freed up for later admissions.

Donna Collins, Associate Director, Acute Clinical Directorate, said

“It is very important that we are able to free up beds in acute wards for new admissions and at the same time ensure that those patients being discharged are looked after in a comfortable environment. We appreciate that many patients need to wait until later in the day for a relative to collect them and so by opening this larger facility in Newchurch ward, we are able to provide a comfortable environment for the patient being discharged but at the same time free up acute beds for new admissions. By introducing this, we also aim to improve our patients experience as currently they are encountering moves across wards late at night when beds become available. No patient is discharged from their acute ward unless clinically safe to do so.”

Facilities will include beds for those waiting for transfer to nursing or residential homes.

Upon admission to the hospital patients will be given a leaving hospital leaflet explaining what plans have been put in place upon their departure from the hospital.

From the Isle of Wight NHS Trust -

Key points to remember:

Hospital transport will only be arranged for those patients with a medical need as ambulances can then be made available to deal with emergencies.
Patients are being asked to only bring into hospital the items they require for the duration of their stay (clothing, toiletries, etc) and where possible, to arrange for a relative, carer or friend to take home any excess prior to their discharge.
Medication brought in with patients will be returned and the pharmacy staff will explain any new medication before discharge.
A letter will be provided to take to the GP on the way home which details the reason for hospital care. A copy will also be sent by the hospital so that GP’s will be aware should there be a need to contact them.
For patients requiring help at home, clear instructions on who to contact would be given prior to movement to the discharge lounge and arrangements would be made for any equipment required at home.