NHS England’s most recent web publication (10 March 2016) is all about Improving discharge from secondary to primary and social care. The eight standards for the communication of patient diagnostic test results on discharge from hospital can be accessed here, and include two case studies which relate and are relevant to renal care. The case studies outline the information which needs to be shared between health and care sectors for people with kidney disease who are being discharged from hospital.
These can be seen in
- Standard 3 – When a patient is discharged, hospital clinical teams should have a process in place to ensure that test results are seen, acted on and communicated to general practitioners and patients in a timely and responsive manner. Responsible consultants leading clinical teams must ensure their team members understand and comply with this local process.
- Standard 8 – As part of routine quality assurance, provider organisations should monitor compliance with their policies regarding test result communication and follow up after discharge. Results should be shared with clinicians to facilitate learning and drive care quality improvement.
Think Kidneys supports this positive approach to accurate and effective discharge which we recognise can have a big impact on patient outcomes and particularly patient safety.