The Department of Health determined that, from April 2011, Trusts would not be paid for emergency readmissions within 30 days of discharge. The purpose of our project was to identify factors associated with such readmissions and implement plans for improvement. A literature search was performed to assess current practice. The case notes of all readmissions were then obtained and analysed. Following consultation on the results, procedures were developed and implemented to ensure that readmissions were correctly defined and avoided where appropriate. The orthopaedic department infrastructure was altered and staff briefed and trained to accommodate the changes.Introduction
Methods
