The Director of Adult Social Services submitted a report on the progress being made in improving the experience of patients and their carers following admission to hospital and subsequent discharge.

It had long been recognised that patients admitted to hospital in Wirral had longer lengths of stay for patients than the national average and that there had been many years of over reliance on acute hospital services by primary and community services with a pattern of under developed community services. In order to address this, Health and Social Care had established a range of services to prevent avoidable hospital admissions and reduce the length of time that people stayed in hospital, including Wirral Home Assessment and Reablement Team (HARTS), Wirral Admission Prevention Service (WAPS) and Intermediate Care.

By reviewing and improving the admission and discharge processes the trust could improve the patient experience by reducing the number of days spent in hospital, and save bed days thus increasing the capacity and saving money. The ‘Better Care Better Value’ national productivity metrics estimated that Wirral Hospital Trust had the potential to save approximately £11.7 million by reducing the amount of time spent by patients in excess of the best performing length of stay by 25%.

An economy wide action plan developed through the Wirral Discharge Planning & Review Group had identified some key practices and issues which needed to be reviewed and challenged in order to significantly improve the experience of patients and improve the patient flow from assessment in A&E or other assessment areas to their safe discharge from hospital. An appendix which showed an update of the Wirral UTH action plan was submitted with the report and was due to be operational across the hospital from January 2010. 

Pat Higgins, Assistant Director, Wirral UTH NHS Foundation Trust, informed the meeting that there were regular visits from the Patient Advice & Liaison Service (PALS) representatives on the hospital wards who actively sought patients’ comments and concerns. Patients should not be taking decisions about their future long term care from a hospital bed. She also commented upon the turnaround time by the pharmacy for take-home medication and explained that the hospital was looking at ways to improve this.

Both Pat Higgins and Kathy Doran, Chief Executive, Wirral NHS, responded to Members’ comments and informed the Committee of the savings which would need to be made by the NHS over the coming years due to the likely constraints of the forthcoming Government Comprehensive Spending Review. Cumulatively these would amount to £15m in 2011, £30m in 2012 and £45m in 2013.

The Chair referred to the Committee’s Discharge Scrutiny Review (minute 76 – 25/03/09 refers) and circulated a paper which compared those recommendations to the actions identified in the Action Plan. On a motion by the Chair, duly seconded, it was:

Resolved –

(1) That this Committee notes progress in improving the experience of patients and carers following admission to hospital and subsequent discharge.

(2) That this Committee requests that the specific recommendations from the Committee’s Discharge Review be aligned with the actions in the report as detailed in the Chair’s circulated paper.

(3) That a further progress report, to include feedback from patients and carers on this issue, be brought to the Committee before the end of the municipal year.