Reset week – the challenge continues

May 12, 2022

Whilst Reset Week might be drawing to an end, the challenge to continue providing safe and effective care for our patients will remain a long-standing mission.

This week we have seen high levels of demand across the organisation, and whilst patients continue to flow in to the hospitals through the emergency departments, we can report that our Emergency Access Standard, otherwise known as our 4 hour target has seen an improvement. That means that despite the throughput, we’re still managing to see and treat our patients in a timely manner.

Increased activity through our Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) has supported our streaming from the emergency departments, allowing more patients to be seen in the right place at the right time.

At City, the total number of patients has increased from 21 to 27 per day, with patients from SPA/ED increasing from 14 to 17 per day. Likewise, the improvements at Sandwell have seen SDEC patients increase from 17 to 26 per day and SPA/ED from 11 to 19 per day. To maintain throughput, teams have been working hard to proactively identify and stream patients in to SDEC from the front door.

Ward huddles supported by imaging, pharmacy and site teams have helped to support and expedite discharges where possible through streamlined pathways, good communications and a commitment to make a change.

Most importantly, as the week has progressed, discharges have been happening earlier in the day ensuring that patients are able to return home at a reasonable time, rest, relax and recuperate in their own home – where we know they stand the best possible chance to make a full recovery