With the onset of Winter looming large now is your Hospials last oportunity to implement changes aimed at eliminating or at least reducing the issues which cause performance to deteriorate during the winter months.
Knowing that volumes increase during the next few months many hospitals are preparing to open more beds. Whilst this may help it may not be the most efficient or effective way of dealing with the problem. The real answer lies in taking a system wide approach to the problem. Looking for solutions that will help with hospital avoidance, improve speed and efficiencies within A&E, improving flows within hospitals and ensuring discharge processes are efficient and well co-ordinated.
For those hospitals who use the final few weeks before the onset of winter to address the real underlying issues that the increase in patient volumes bring to the surface there is the opportunity to make a real difference to the experience and outcomes for patients and the Trusts finances. For those who rely only on opening more beds and tinkering around the edges of the underlying process issues a bleak wnter lies ahead for patients, staff and Trust finances.