Equipment and adaptations: guidance on provision - executive summary

Hospital Discharge

To ensure seamless arrangements for the discharge from hospital settings, it is important that a range of staff within the hospital (occupational therapists, physiotherapists, liaison nurses, and staff within multi-disciplinary discharge teams) can assess and order directly, equipment for 'safe discharge', for their patients. It is important that these staff are supported to provide all aspects of the assessment role including follow-up and conclusion of the assessment following provision and/or work jointly with other community based colleagues to fulfil these responsibilities.

A hospital discharge guide Planning Discharge from Hospital, A guide to Providing Community Equipment on Discharge from Hospital, is based on arrangements tested and implemented in some existing services in Scotland. It has been developed to assist local services clarify roles and responsibilities for the provision of equipment, between the hospital and community settings, and support the implementation of clear and effective pathways.

Key Actions

• Integration Authorities (IAs) should utilise the hospital discharge equipment provision good practice guide, to support improvements in the provision of equipment for discharge.
• IAs should ensure that a range of staff within the hospital can assess and order directly, equipment and relevant adaptations, for 'safe discharge'.
• IAs should ensure that clear pathways are in place to allow hospital staff to refer to relevant community staff for the assessment and ordering of equipment and adaptations for more complex, ongoing needs.
• All services should avoid over-prescription for patients with standard needs, and agree simple solutions, to ensure a seamless, and safe discharge.
• Services should explore the opportunities to implement a Planned Date of Discharge approach, to improve forward planning for the provision of equipment and relevant adaptations for discharge.