NHS Forth Valley is one of four health boards in Scotland which has been working with the Boston based Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHO) on a pilot programme to understand and improve the way patients move through our hospitals. Initial work focused on defining admission, transfer and discharge criteria, to help ensure patients are on the correct pathway and can reach the most appropriate area in Forth Valley Royal Hospital, with minimal delay. Over the course of the programme there has been an improvement in the number of bed days saved and also time in which patients are being discharged home.
In Autumn 2017, detailed data and information was submitted to the IHO to analysis our current practice and the configuration of our inpatient wards. The initial analysis has confirmed that the current medical ward configuration within Forth Valley Royal Hospital is appropriate. A number of areas for potential development were also identified, including weekend discharging, and there are plans to extend the programme for a further year so that these can be explored.
