Gloucestershire NHS introduces pharmacy plan to speed up patient discharge
An NHS trust has introduced pharmacy changes to help patients who are medically fit to leave hospital sooner.
Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is focusing on getting TTOs (drugs To Take Out) to the pharmacy by 13:00 GMT each day.
It says this reduces the length of stay for patients by several hours and can release up to 20 beds a day.
"That's 20 people not waiting in the emergency department," said medical director, Professor Mark Pietroni.
The plan has been called 'Early Meds to Release Beds' by the trust.
Patients whose TTOs are with the pharmacy by 13:00 GMT are usually discharged about four hours later.
Source: BBC News, 20 January 2023