We have created a video because we need our staff and staff in our partner organisations to understand their role in ensuring meaningful flow. The Emergency Department at the Leicester Royal Infirmary is the busiest in the NHS; we treat circa 13% more patients than any other Emergency Department in the country. We also have a very large Cardio-respiratory Clinical Decisions Unit at our Glenfield Hospital (3 miles from the Royal Infirmary).
The aim of the video is to show how serious it can be when these departments do not have outflow. Until recently, we had not fully understood the impact of not discharging a patient in a safe and timely way from our wards has on these two departments and on East Midlands Ambulance Service. The press talks about “A&Es in crisis”, but to consider this an Emergency Department issue alone is too simple. Emergency performance is far more complex than what happens inside the four walls of the emergency department. Ultimately we believe everybody has a part to play in ensuring flow and patient safety – both through our hospitals and out into the community.
The video explains the issue, and looks at what people can do to improve patient flow. This involves working more closely with colleagues across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland to; avoid admitting patients unless they really need hospital care, reduce avoidable delays and encourage the timely discharge of patients when they are ready to leave. Everybody is part of the solution.
We have produced a short video called Everybody Counts: Improving patient flow through our hospitals.
Everybody Counts - Improving patient flow through our hospitals from Leicester's Hospitals on Vimeo.
We have shared the video with our staff and stakeholders (those organisations who can direct effect patient flow), and will be launching it to the general public on Thursday 12 March as part of a social media day in our Emergency Department.
We will be posting live messages on Twitter between 9am and 4pm, and there will be a live Q&A between 12 and 1pm (#AskUHLED). Follow @Leic_Hospital to get involved. This is part of our internal campaign Everybody Counts to highlight the work that our staff are doing to improve patient care.