Better planning frees 1500 bed nights in Hawke's Bay
Hawke's Bay hospital freed 1,515 bed nights in a year by accelerating patient discharges, cutting delays for those medically cleared to leave.
Health Minister Simeon Brown reports that Hawke's Bay Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Hospital has freed 1,515 bed nights over the past year through improved discharge planning. Each bed night released allows another patient to access care sooner, reducing pressure on hospital resources and emergency departments. The initiative targets patients medically cleared for discharge but still occupying beds, ensuring timely transfers home or to appropriate care.
The reduction in delayed discharges is attributed to a specialist team including Clinical Nurse Specialists, a Health Care Assistant, and the geriatrics team. Their approach involves identifying patients likely to need extra support early, often older people or those with frailty, and beginning discharge planning on the day of admission. This proactive strategy contrasts with the previous reactive model of arranging support only when patients were ready to leave.
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments are completed on the day of arrival or the following day to evaluate health, independence, and home support needs. These assessments inform immediate care arrangements, enabling smoother transitions to community services or aged residential care. The team collaborates across acute, medical, and surgical units, as well as with local aged care facilities to streamline transfers.
Minister Brown highlights that the initiative has cut the number of patients waiting to leave by 57%, from an average of 21 to nine per day. Earlier family involvement, clearer communication with GPs and care providers, and coordinated planning between hospitals and aged care facilities have reduced delays. The result is faster access to beds for new patients and improved emergency department flow.