‘It can wait until Monday’.
When it comes to discharging patients, the fabled expression has become outdated in a modern healthcare system. Given the pressure health services are under, the two extra days of inactivity over the weekends were having an impact on bed availability
and patient care.
Before Christmas Bendigo Health’s discharge lounge, located on Drought Street, opened on weekends to improve patient flow.
Manager of Patient Access and Demand Belinda Lee said earlier discharging meant earlier access to ward beds for patients coming through the Emergency Department (ED), resulting in lower waiting times in ED and reduced length of stay for all patients.
Around 10 patients are discharged via the discharge lounge each weekend, compared to 15 during a weekday and Belinda says more can be done.
About 50 per cent of current hospital discharges go through the discharge lounge. Others are done on wards or respective units.
“The discharge lounge has been a bit displaced throughout COVID but we want to encourage all clinicians to get in contact with us when patients are close to going home,” Belinda said.
“We have eight chairs, a Registered Nurse and three wonderful volunteers here each day and the volunteer express (patient transport bus) Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“We would like to encourage our patients to be ‘home in time for lunch’, this means our patients who are being discharged earlier in the day have the chance to settle in at home before evening comes.
“It (discharge lounge) is beneficial for our patients. It is more comfortable and quieter than the wards and it is convenient access for the loved ones who are arriving to collect their family member.”
Hospital in the Home nurses have been working out of the discharge lounge since February, administering complex medications and dressing wounds.
The changes are part of a broader plan called the Timely Excellent Care Collaborative, which is looking at a number of ways to improve patient flow.
Discharge Lounge is open 8.00am-4.30pm seven days a week.