Skip to content Skip to main menu Skip to utility menu

Heartbeat: 10 by 10 to increase discharge rates

November 27, 2018

As winter approaches our organisation is working towards ensuring we are ready for this challenging period.

One of the many initiatives to tackle the pressures is introducing the “10 by 10” message – which aims for us to discharge 10 patients a day before 10am.

This would mean that each ward would discharge one patient a day.

Colleagues are working together to put this into practice with a number of initiatives.

Martin Chadderton, Head of Analytics (Improvement), explains: “By discharging patients in a timely manner we will invariably have given them the right care when they need it and ultimately that is what we are here to do; it also means that we are thinking and planning ahead and as a result there are no ‘wasted days’ for the patient whilst in hospital.

“One of the initiatives to enable this is called the ‘Big Room’. This is initially being piloted on Lyndon 4, Lyndon 5 and Priory 5 at Sandwell Hospital.

“The whole team in each ward will gather once a week to look at what the main issues are and how to address them. The following week the team will look retrospectively at what has been done and resolved.

“Wards from across the organisation are also being asked to identify a ‘golden patient’; an initiative championed by Deborah Fretwell (Ward Matron) and the medicines patient flow team. The ward will pick someone in our care each day who could potentially be discharged the following day before 10am.

“The team will look at making sure that the right measures are in place for this to happen. That means thinking ahead with regards to transport, pharmacy and the package of care that is required, if any, once they are at home.

“It’s very much in line with our Red to Green policy. This is where a patient starts the day as red, but if issues regarding their care are addressed, they will be classed as green by the end of the day and hopefully will be discharged sooner. This may not always be the case, and if they are required to stay in our care they will revert back to red.”