Improved weekend discharges helping patients go home sooner

Patients are benefiting from improved weekend-discharge processes, thanks to closer collaboration between therapy teams, the Care Transfer Hub and discharge colleagues at Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group.

The changes are already delivering results, with weekend discharges increasing by 7%, with the most significant improvement seen on Sundays.

Traditionally, some patients who were medically ready to leave hospital weren’t able to go home over the weekend as they needed therapy support. To tackle this, teams across the Group and system partners worked together to redesign how weekend discharges are supported, ensuring patients can return home sooner, safely, and with the right support in place.

To improve patient flow and discharge efficiency, additional therapy capacity and streamlined processes have been introduced, including enhanced weekend physiotherapy and occupational therapy coverage alongside closer collaboration with the Care Transfer Hub. This seven-day-a-week service is further supported by a new 8.30 am daily priority meeting and the integration of new therapy leads and a discharge liaison nurse to strengthen decision-making.

These initiatives have yielded significant results, most notably a 7% increase in weekend discharges and a drastic reduction in average length of stay between December 2024 and December 2025; specifically, stays for complex patients dropped from 19.58 to 10.13 days, while other patients saw a decrease from 11 to 6 days. Furthermore, these changes have effectively halved Monday morning therapy-related discharge delays, ensuring a more consistent and timely transition for patients returning home.

Ned Hobbs, Group Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, SaTH, said: “This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when teams work together with a shared focus on what matters most – our patients.

“By strengthening weekend therapy provision and aligning it closely with the Care Transfer Hub and discharge teams, we are removing unnecessary delays and helping more people go home sooner, safely and with the right support in place.

“These improvements not only benefit patients and their families but also help us make better use of hospital beds and support flow across the whole system. This work is part of our wider Urgent & Emergency Care improvement programme that is now delivering real results – April was our best month of average ambulance handover performance since the pandemic, and we thank all colleagues contributing to safer and more timely care for our patients.”

This news comes as Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group celebrates its annual Improvement Week which celebrates the work taking place across its services to improve care for patients and make things more efficient for colleagues.

The Group will continue to build on this collaborative approach as part of its wider work to improve patient flow, reduce unnecessary stays, and support timely discharge across the week.