Senior leaders visited University Hospital Hairmyres to hear about some of the incredible work being done across the site on Friday.
Site Director, Margaret Meek, Chief of Medical Services, Dr Claire McDougall and Chief of Nursing Services, Lise Axford led senior collegues around the Minor Injuries Unit, Emergency Department, Surgical Ambulatory Care Unit and the Frailty Unit.
Within the Frailty Unit, Laura Arthur, Service Manager for Adult and Older People, South Lanarkshire University HSCP, and Eli Begg, Service Manager for Medicine for Older Adults at University Hospital Hairmyres have introduced measures since the start of the Firebreak to reduce length of stay and reduce number of delayed discharges.
This collaboration between acute and social work is already seeing better outcomes with people being discharged without delay by targeting early identification of key pathways. By streamlining the process and identifying patients early, this has resulted in a lot of positive outcomes for patients and means they aren’t in hospital any longer than they need to be.
The 24/72 Discharge Rule has played a vital part in this and has really impacted on the flow for social services and also the flow in the hospital. It has really helped focus everyone on why we need to plan and how we need to plan.
The 24/72 Discharge Rule is being introduced during Firebreak to ensure safe, speedy discharge as close as possible to the Planned Date of Discharge (PDD).
Staff must ensure they are aware of what this means as applying it consistently across all three acute hospital sites will help prevent delays for our patients.
The 24/72 Rule for Requesting Support on Discharge:
- Minimum of 24-hours’ notice must be given before PDD for patients who have an existing package of care (restarts)
- Minimum of 72-hours’ notice must be given before PDD for patients who need a new referral for supported discharge.
Requests for support on discharge will be triaged by the social work team and, if accepted, directed onto the relevant team for processing.
Multidisciplinary team working during the patient’s stay and the earliest notice possible of requests helps support safe and timely discharge.
The 24/72 rule started on Monday 16 September and continues beyond Firebreak.
Firebreak background
The Firebreak initiative, running from Monday 16 to Wednesday 25 September, focuses on improving safety, quality of care, and staff wellbeing. This vital programme will help create lasting, positive change for everyone across NHS Lanarkshire.
During the Firebreak, we aim to:
- Lower occupancy rates in our hospitals
- Fewer patients boarding in non-appropriate areas
- Improved patient experiences and outcomes
- Create a more satisfying work environment for our staff.
A new FAQ document has been published with all you need to know about Firebreak ’24: Sustainable Change, Safer Care. Click here to find out more about what Firebreak will achieve, how you can play your part and the sustainable change that teams are working together to deliver.
Feedback and Engagement
We highly value your feedback and encourage you to actively participate in shaping Firebreak ’24:
- Feedback Channels: Please use our dedicated email address operationFLOW@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk to share your thoughts, suggestions and questions
- Stay Engaged: Discuss in your teams and stay updated through our weekly internal communications.
- Find Out More: Visit our webpages to find out more about Operation FLOW: www.nhslanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk/OperationFLOW/
Interface Firebreak Frequently Asked Questions
You can learn more about the Flow Navigation Centre Plus (FNC+Plus) – and the broader work of the Interface Directorate – in our FAQ where Trudi Marshall, NHS Lanarkshire’s Interface Director, provides clear answers to key questions.
Together, we are not just addressing the challenges of today but building more resilient services for the future. Your dedication and commitment to this important initiative is crucial to the improvement of our system.
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