Let’s Get You Home initiative finalist in the HSJ Partnership Awards | News centre

A discharge programme, which has helped more patients return home sooner after receiving care in East Surrey, was a finalist in the prestigious Health Service Journal (HSJ) Partnership Awards.

Developed by East Surrey Partners and IMPOWER consultants, Let’s Get You Home was launched in April 2023 with the aim of reducing avoidable prolonged hospital stays at one of Surrey’s busiest acute Trusts.

People recover better at home or out of the hospital once their hospital treatment is complete; that’s why enabling patients to return to the community as soon as it is safe to do so not only improves patient recovery and wellbeing, but ensures hospital beds are occupied only by people who need to be there.

The initiative was initially piloted across three wards, integrating IMPOWER’s theory of change and EDGEWORK® methodology with SASH+ improvement principles, and has since been rolled out across 27 wards at East Surrey Hospital.

Before the launch of Let’s Get You Home, many patients were staying in hospital for longer than necessary, which slowed down their recovery and increased their risk of further infection.

East Surrey Place partners Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Surrey County Council first agreed a common vision of ‘good hospital discharge.’ 

Since then, system partners across Surrey and Sussex have signed up to the initiative, coming together to support better patient outcomes, and ensure that hospital beds are filled by only those with the most clinical need – relieving pressure on both hospital and community beds.

Some of the improvements made by Let’s Get You Home include:

• Hospital staff having conversations with patients about their discharge plan as early as possible, usually 24-48 hours after being admitted, with patients being given clear information about their options so they can be central to discharge decisions.
• Health and social care teams working closer together to ensure patients have the right care and support they need to return home or an alternate community setting.
• Supporting more assessments on people’s long-term care needs to take place outside of hospital, in their own home or community setting, where they can be assessed more effectively.

From December 2022 to December 2023, there was a 19% reduction in patients spending 21 or more days in hospital. Since the introduction of Let’s Get You Home, there has been a steady increase in discharges home rather than to bedded care.

Roxanne Carroll, East Surrey Hospital Adult Social Care Assistant Team Manager for Surrey County Council said:

“Discharges are happening quicker, and people are being discharged home or to a ‘step down’ service for assessment. There are fewer referrals to long-term 24-hour care.”

 

Angela Stevenson, Chief Executive at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said:

“Supporting patients to get home or to the most appropriate community care facility as soon as possible is vital for their recovery and wellbeing, and also improves their overall NHS experience.

“Let’s Get You Home – which was co-designed with our clinicians and partners – has been instrumental in making that happen and has been a fantastic addition to our Trust – especially during the exceptionally busy winter months when we have more people needing our help. It has also been really positively received by those at the centre of what we do - our patients.”

 

Sumona Chatterjee, East Surrey Place Based Leader, Surrey Heartlands ICS added:

“The improvements delivered were the result of both hard-working staff in the hospital and significant efforts of partners within East Surrey to agree a shared ambition. With IMPOWER bringing us together and facilitating co-production of a major improvement programme, Let's Get You Home has created a legacy on which to build on and has changed the way practitioners and leaders work together for the better.”

 

Mark Nuti, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing & Public Health at Surrey County Council welcomed the initiative:

“The programme greatly improves people’s physical and mental wellbeing at a time when they are in need of reassurance and support. It’s a great example of how social care and health services can come together to focus on better outcomes for patients while helping to make the most of finite budgets.”