Every Trust shares the same so-called "bed blocking" challenges. At CHFT we've gone pro-active with our partners to tackle the Discharge Dilemma and here Matron Rachel Rae tells how we're tackling it. 

"About a year ago we started regular meetings on a Friday at each site to look at our long-stay patients, ward-by-ward to try and unpick issues and progress patients.  At the meetings there are many representatives from different disciplines to enable decisions to be made there and then.  They are made up of Discharge Matron, Social Work Team Manager, Clinical Lead for Therapy, Community Matron, Safeguarding Nurse, Locala In reach nurse, Primary Care Discharge Co-ordinator.  The ward representative comes down at a prescribed time and we discuss patient by patient to see if we can resolve issues.

At this meeting in the photo were

Katie Dearden – Social Work Deputy Team Manager, Kirklees Adult Social Care

Rachel Rae – Discharge Matron

Janet Walshaw – Community Matron

Kathryn Hayes – Primary Care discharge Co-ordinator

Clare Gibson – Locala In-Reach

Kathryn Shaw – Community Matron

Katy Littlewood – Locala In-Reach

"Some other BIG news is that we are now co-located with Kirklees Council Adult Social Care in one office at HRI.  We sit alongside them which has enabled the Matron, discharge co-ordinators, care home support staff and the primary care staff to build relationships with our Social Work colleagues.  This has led to early escalation and communication and ultimately a better joined-up service for patients.  The latest NICE guidelines on discharge (December 15) sets a challenge for health and social care practitioners to communicate more effectively, this is an example of joint working, improved co-ordination and shared learning.  The Trust Discharge Co-ordinators are mirroring the good practice from social workers in terms of case managing patients to be the central point for contact in relation to decisions about discharge planning.

"The co-location of Calderdale Adult Social Care, CHFT Discharge Team and CHFT Safeguarding team is underway and hopefully we can ‘move in’ together in the coming months."