New video: Together – Tackling Patient Flow

Patient flow is one of the greatest challenges facing every part of the NHS. Hospitals, in particular, have huge pressure on beds, with new patients being admitted every day and difficulties in discharging patients once they have been treated. At CUH, the number of patients attending the Emergency Department increases every year by at least six percent, with a corresponding increase in the number that need to be treated as inpatients. With bed occupancy close to 100%, it is absolutely vital that clinical teams focus on identifying and resolving any potential causes of delay.

Media Studio was asked by Andy Bailey, Deputy Operations Manager for the Emergency Department (ED), to produce a film for all staff at CUH, describing some of the ways in which patient flow can be addressed. We were particularly keen to present a positive message about how, by working together, every member of the team can contribute to improvements in patient flow. Delays in discharge can be caused by many things, but by reviewing every patient at least once every day, the causes of delay can be identified and dealt with. The specific tools available, including Red and Green Days and the SAFER toolkit, establish a framework in which staff can work together to free up blockages in the system.

The film published today is available to all CUH staff and three additional short films go into further detail about patient deconditioning, the 'Red and Green Days' and the 'SAFER' toolkit. These more detailed films will be used in training, so as to firmly embed the principles and practices that help to speed up patient flow.

Watch the films here:

Together – tackling patient flow

Together, tackling patient flow – Deconditioning

Together, tackling patient flow – Red and green days

Together, tackling patient flow – SAFER