A systems approach to improving the safe, effective and efficient transfer of patients from LTHT to their discharge destination, and between LTHT sites. A Leeds Improvement Method Project

Abstract

Background Timely and safe patient discharge relies heavily on effective transport coordination. Across Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT), delays were frequently linked to aborted transport bookings, unclear service information, and inconsistent communication with transport providers. These issues contributed to prolonged patient stays, increased staff workload, and inefficiencies across discharge processes. Aims To reduce avoidable delays in patient discharge by improving communication, understanding of transport pathways, and collaboration between LTHT staff and transport providers. Methods Using the Leeds Improvement Method (LIM), the team undertook a collaborative improvement project beginning with a multi stakeholder workshop to map issues and agree priorities. A series of Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) cycles were implemented: • PDSA 1: Regular transport “drop in” sessions for ward teams. • PDSA 2: A clear visual poster outlining transport options and criteria. • PDSA 3: A daily transport huddle involving LTHT staff and transport providers to proactively address abnormal status, share updates, and manage flow in real time. Results Early findings show clear improvement. Staff report better understanding of transport pathways and strong satisfaction with the daily huddle. Transport‑related discharge delays have reduced substantially, with LGI showing a 75% reduction and SJUH a 78% reduction in handovers citing transport as a barrier. Aborted journeys have also improved: comparing winter 2024/25 (average 457 per month) with the most recent quarter (average 354), LTHT achieved a 22.5% reduction. When month‑to‑month improvement occurred, aborts fell by an average of 48 journeys, demonstrating strong improvement capability. Conclusion Introducing structured communication processes and practical guidance improved coordination between LTHT and transport providers, contributing to smoother, more timely patient discharges. Ongoing work is focusing on increasing the proportion of transport jobs accurately marked “ready” and further reducing aborted bookings, supporting improved patient flow and experience