A programme that supports people in Oxfordshire to leave hospital more quickly to recover at home has seen success, one year on from its roll out.

Residents have seen significant benefits in the Discharge to Assess system partnership programme, with hospital trusts, the council and charities working together to identify the best way of supporting a patient to leave hospital safely and quickly.

The latest figures demonstrate it has enabled 23 per cent more people to leave hospital compared to last year. In October, this amounted to 657 people going home from hospital through Discharge to Assess.

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Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for adult social care, said: “Nobody wants to stay in hospital for longer than necessary. Indeed, for some of our older residents, remaining in hospital for longer than necessary can have a huge negative impact on their ability to regain their independence.

“In the first year, statistics show Discharge to Assess is having a positive effect for our residents while freeing up hospital beds for those who need them most.

“It’s an important part of our Oxfordshire Way vision, to support people to live well and independently within their own communities.”

Based on national guidance, the programme comes from Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Age UK Oxfordshire and came into effect last November.

The team works with the patient and their family before they are well enough to go home, making a plan for a faster discharge and putting homecare support in place.

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Tamsin Cater, head of the transfer of care hub at Oxford University Hospitals Trust, said: “This system is good news for all patients being admitted into hospital, and we’re really pleased with its progress. 

“The outcomes for people recovering in their own home are far better than staying in hospital unnecessarily, and we’ve been working hard with our health and social care partners to make this happen wherever it is safe and appropriate to do so.”

By shortening the average length of stay in hospital from eight to five days, the scheme has improved hospital flow and reduced the need for short stay hub beds, and 73 per cent of people home under the scheme have gone on to reach full independence.

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Karen Fuller, Oxfordshire County Council’s director of adult social care, said: “While it’s great to see the impact of Discharge to Assess on hospital flow, the real success is being seen in people’s homes.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the difference the programme is making to people’s lives.”

The programme forms part of a response to the recently published Healthwatch Oxfordshire report.

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