Patients are being supported and encouraged to get home from hospital quickly and safely in a new campaign.
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) has launched the Home for Lunch initiative to make sure more people in hospital are ready to go home before noon.
The move has been launched in a bid to improve patient flow through hospitals, reduce the risks associated with long hospital stays, and free up beds for acute medical assessment patients to be seen by specialists sooner.
Patients and carers are being asked to check when they’re getting home so that appropriate arrangements can be made, such as transport being in place, access to accommodation, appropriate clothing for discharge, and making sure patients are aware of when they will be moved to the discharge lounge.
Scott Davidson, deputy medical director for Acute Services at NHSGGC, said: “We’re well aware of the challenges facing the health care system and Home for Lunch is an initiative I think we can all get behind.
"No one wants to be in hospital any longer than necessary and similarly, no one wants to wait extended periods for treatment in A&E.
"If we can improve the efficiency of our discharges we know the positive impact this has on both the patients going home, but also the rate we can then look at treating the rest of our patients, so it’s in everyone’s interest to get Home for Lunch wherever possible."
Health Secretary Humza Yousaf added: “We know that delays in discharge are adding to the pressure already on our services and the Scottish Government fully supports NHSGGC’s ‘Home for Lunch’ initiative.
“This isn’t about discharging patients before they’re ready to go home, but making sure we remove any barriers for those who are ready so they can make the transition back home as seamless as possible, as early as possible.
“It’s good for the patient, and it supports patient flow right through our healthcare system to the ambulances and first responders out in our communities.”
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