Northampton General Hospital

This means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

At our last assessment we rated this key question requires improvement. At this assessment we did not rate as we only looked at specific aspects in response to the Section 29a Warning Notice (WN). The rating has remained as requires improvement.

We assessed 2 quality statements and found improvements had been made in line with the WN. The hospital had launched a programme to improve patient flow and the timely and safe discharge of patients. This included reviewing internal discharge processes, introducing enhanced digital oversight tools, and a discharge planning approach from admission. Action had been taken to develop strong system-wide collaboration with community and social care partners. Early data reported reduced long stays and faster completion of discharge paperwork indicated a 5–10% increase in discharges before midday,

Processes to improve the accurate and timely prescribing and preparation of medicines to take home had resulted in reducing the risk of patients experiencing delayed discharges.