NHS Fife: getting it right for our most vulnerable patients

Short-Term Discharge Support

The hospital recently piloted a programme with a private care organisation that provides early short-term support with personal and domestic care when patients are first discharged from hospital. “Previously, these types of patients would have had to remain in hospital because there was no access to immediate, short-term care support,” explained Louise. “The 16-week pilot showed that providing this type of support to roughly 90 newly-discharged patients cut bed days, resulting in savings of approximately a quarter of a million pounds. Patients were also at less risk of infection or institutionalisation. The Short-Term Discharge Support Service was recently commissioned for a further two years.”