Going bananas in pyjamas has been entirely acceptable week as they (pyjamas, not bananas) are the very centre of our Discharge Improvement Week campaign.

Non-clinical colleagues were wearing them yesterday to promote the idea that the sooner a patient is up and dressed the better their recovery will be.

Together with our partners in community and social care, we've been raising awareness for colleagues and members of the public and patients about  the importance of a timely discharge -  reducing the numbers of unecessary days spent in hospital.

In essence, getting out of hospital pyjamas and into going home clothes  as soon as a patient is medically ready is the primary message.

Lead for the Safer Programme, Bev Walker, said: "There's been a real buzz about the week with colleagues starting to take real notice of the messages. Getting discharges right is very important. If you can be up and about you regain your independence much more quickly, and that is so important for our older patients especially." 

The cut-outs - pyjamaes v going home clothes -  as modellled by discharge team members Gillian Sutulic, Hannah Wood and Jayne Walsh in the picture have been very popular.

** And if you're in doubt here's a link to a special poem - commissioned by Chief Nurse Jane Cummings - which highlights the importance of getting discharges absolutely right Last 1,000 Days .

And today (Thursday 21st) is Pledge Day - when colleagues can say how they'll improve the discharge process in their area.

As well as this some of the other things the team have been working on for this week and the future are: 

• Patient placemats - 10,000 have been shared around the hospital. They'll be on patient tables and give them the opportunity and prompts to think about the sorts of questions they may want to ask
• A new patient information leaflet has also been created to raise awareness of the health benefits of getting patients up and about as quickly as possible