Summary
The British Red Cross has proposed that home assessments, and comparatively simple interventions, when discharging old and vulnerable people for hospitals would help to reduce avoidable but predictable hospital re-admissions (and prevent many hospital admissions in the first place).
Reference
Triggle, N. (2018). Patients ‘sent home to no heat or light’. London: BBC Health News, February 1st 2018.
This relates to:
Reference
In and out of hospital. London: British Red Cross, February 2018.
See also:
Reference
Silver, K. [and] Triggle, N. (2017). Patients face ‘distressing readmissions’. London: BBC Health News, October 26th 2017.
Concerning the Value of Volunteering (NESTA / King’s Fund)
On the impact of volunteering in hospitals:
Reference
Tran Graham, J. Holman, A. [and] Loder, J. (2016). Helping in hospitals: a guide to high impact volunteering in hospitals. London: NESTA, 2016.
On the roles and value of volunteers in general practice.
Reference
Buck, D. Gilburt, H. [and] South, J. (2018). Volunteering in general practice: opportunities and insights. London: The King’s Fund, February 2018.
There is also an Executive Summary.
Avoidable Emergency Hospital Readmissions: Obstinate Statistics?
Reference
Rise in ‘preventable’ emergency readmissions to hospital. London: BBC Health News, June 1st 2018.
The Benefits of Community-Based Follow-Up, Post-Discharge
The involvement of community nurses in contacting and visiting geriatric patients after hospital discharge reduces 30-day hospital readmissions significantly, according to research from the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust (HEFT) / Solihull Hospital.
Reference
Vernon, D. Brown, JE. [and] Griffiths, E. [et al] (2019). Reducing readmission rates through a discharge follow-up service. Future Healthcare Journal. June 2019; Vol.6(2): pp.114-117.
Exploring the Overnight Effect
The “Overnight Effect”, among patients attending emergency departments, involves patients waiting disproportionately longer, being more likely to leave without being seen, being more likely to attend with non-urgent problems and more likely to be admitted for short stays in hospital.
Reference
Simpson, R. Croft, S. [and] O’Keeffe, C. [et al] (2019). Exploring the characteristics, acuity and management of adult ED patients at night-time. Emergency Medicine Journal. July 30th 2019. [Epub ahead of print].
