The team on our Surgical Assessment Unit (SAU) at HRI have been raising awareness of the importance of early discharge, making sure as many patients who are able to, can get home for lunch, or by early afternoon at the latest.

Sister, Jessica Bond, pictured third left said: “It’s encouraging to see that our colleagues are doing all they can to help people return to the place they call home as early in the day as possible.

“After all, if a patient is told first thing in the morning that they can go home, why would they want to still be sat on a ward in the afternoon? I know I’d want to get home to my own environment and put my feet up as quickly as I could, and that’s why it’s important we put ourselves in our patients’ shoes.

“Once our consultant surgeons have completed their morning reviews, we prioritise discharges at our handover meetings. We look at whether our patients are suitable to be moved to the Discharge Lounge while they await any final tests, or if they can be discharged from the ward and make their way home independently.

“I also can’t speak highly enough of the Safari Team based in the Discharge Lounge. Because they’re based there, they can make sure that take home medicines are dispensed quickly. It really is like a one stop shop!

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t just improve the patient experience. We’re constantly monitoring whether patients will need to come to SAU from A&E, so having the beds free also supports our colleagues and patients in A&E too.”

Clinical Matron, Zoe Rowling, said: “This isn’t unique to the SAU. We know that keeping patients in a hospital bed when they no longer need our care can have a negative impact on their mental and physical wellbeing, as well as putting them at risk of hospital acquired infections or a greater risk of falls because of being in an unfamiliar environment.”

Contacting the Discharge Lounge

The Discharge Lounge Team are on site Monday to Friday between 07:00 and 19:30. You can call 07379 061905 to refer patients.