Dorset hospital bed-blocking rates down ahead of Christmas

The improvement in discharge rates is partly down to a new lounge set up at Dorset County Hospital in August, staff have said

The number of patients waiting to be discharged ahead of Christmas in a Dorset hospital is 30% less than this time last year, figures have shown.

Staff at Dorset County Hospital say the winter demand for beds is already high.

But the Dorchester-based hospital confirmed it was taking a number of measures to minimise bed-blocking.

Vicky Sayers, discharge lead for the hospital, said it was facing "quite the challenge" but already seeing improvements on numbers.

She explained the winter rush meant demand for beds goes up and hospitals can struggle with limited staff available to sign patients off as medically fit for discharge.

This year however, she said extra funding and an acute hospital-at-home team, as well as regular meetings with staff about workflow, were helping to improve discharge rates.

Vicky Sayers said the hospital was facing "quite the challenge" this winter to keep beds available

She said: "We're already meeting frequently throughout the day to look at individual beds, where we can move people, what is the best outcome for this individual."

Figures from the hospital between September and November in 2022 show it had up to 90 patients a day who no longer needed acute hospital care, but were unable to go home.

A year on, that number has fallen to an estimated 60 patients a day, which Ms Sayers said was a "huge step" in the right direction.

It comes after the hospital used funding to set up a new discharge lounge in August, which provides dedicated nursing staff and extra hospital beds.

Elizabeth Wilson, a nurse herself, said it was "great" to see so many patients recovering and going home

Elizabeth Wilson, herself a nurse of 44 years, recently had a minor operation to remove a small tumour and stayed in the discharge lounge ward - after just one night she was able to leave.

She said: "Since I've been in this bed, which is less than 24 hours, there have been three people in the next bed to me that have gone home.

"It's been great to see them come in, recover and go home."

The hospital is also running an acute hospital-at-home team, which sends carers out to patients who are deemed medically fit but need additional support outside of hospital.

The team is currently caring for 43 patients, including Gail Hopkins, who is recovering from an infection after a hip replacement.

Gail Hopkins is one of the 43 patients currently using the acute hospital-at-home team after being discharged

In previous years, she could have stayed in hospital for two to six weeks but has been discharged and is now receiving support from nurse Cherie Ballett.

Ms Hopkins said: "To be in my own home, in my own environment, is absolutely wonderful. I know they do a fantastic job at the hospital but I was very relieved to be able to come home."

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