New plan on hospital discharges
Many patients in South Australian country and city hospitals will not have to wait, sometimes many hours, to be discharged from their hospital bed.
In a move to ease workloads and free up beds, the State Government has begun to implement a new hospital discharge plan, the Criteria Led Discharge (CLD).
Midwives, nurses and allied medical staff will be able to use their skills and knowledge to review and discharge patients by following a clinical criteria which will enable a better flow of those leaving hospital, especially on weekends.
Minister for Health and Wellbeing Stephen Wade said the plan would help patients who were at risk, even in a medical environment, to lessen the chances of other outcomes such as reinfection.
“Giving a broader range of health professionals the power to discharge will ensure patients can return home from hospital as safely and quickly as possible," he said.
“Through implementation of the new policy, we are empowering our clinicians and staff with the right tools so they can make the best decisions for their patients.”
The South Australian Salaried Medical Officers Association (SASMOA) was just one of a range of medical representative bodies that helped work towards developing the CLD policy.
SASMOA representative Dr Laura Willington said doctors welcomed the new measures.
“Doctors will identify patients that may be suitable for CLD on admission and review them throughout their hospital stay,” Dr Willington said.
“This is not about discharging patients before they are clinically ready, it’s about ensuring that when they are clinically ready, they can go home immediately.
“It’s about having a plan for a patient’s journey through the hospital almost from the moment they come through the door.