An innovative project transforming care for some of our most vulnerable patients has been shortlisted for a prestigious national award.
For people living with frailty, even a short hospital stay can adversely affect their long-term health, independence and wellbeing.
Our acute frailty team at Hull Royal Infirmary has completed a successful 13-week Frailty Same Day Emergency Care pilot, significantly reducing avoidable admissions, corridor care and the time frail patients spent in the Emergency Department.
Working from a dedicated Same Day Emergency Care area outside the Emergency Department, the team assessed and treated 386 patients during the pilot. Seventy per cent were treated and discharged on the same day, avoiding an inpatient admission. The pilot also delivered a 90% reduction in corridor care time and a 60% reduction in the time frail patients spent in the Emergency Department.
Learning from the Hull pilot has since informed the development of a similar Frailty SDEC model at Scunthorpe General Hospital. The Hull team has now been shortlisted for the Health Service Journal’s Transforming Care for Older People Award.
Community, Frailty and Therapies Care Group Operations Director, Ant Rosevear said: “The aim of the pilot was to bring together a multidisciplinary acute frailty team in a dedicated Same Day Emergency Care area, enabling older people living with frailty to receive earlier specialist assessment, treatment, therapy input and discharge planning.
“Some frail patients were being admitted unnecessarily when further assessment and treatment through Same Day Emergency Care could have enabled them to return home safely that day.
“This matters because an avoidable hospital admission can lead to deconditioning, loss of independence, a prolonged hospital stay and greater long-term care needs.
“We wanted to provide the right care earlier by combining senior geriatric decision-making, Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment, therapy input, diagnostics and discharge planning, supported by links to community services.
“During the pilot, 70% of patients were treated and discharged on the same day. We also reduced corridor care time by 90% and reduced the time frail patients spent in the Emergency Department by 60%.
“These are important improvements in patient safety, dignity and experience, as well as helping the hospital to improve flow and use its inpatient capacity for those who genuinely need it.”
Following the successful pilot, our long-term ambition is to embed Frailty SDEC as a core part of how we care for older people across NHS Humber Health Partnership.
