Electronic Discharge scheme deployed in Cornwall
AN ELECTRONIC discharge system has been installed at the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust to help manage an increasing number of patients attending A and E during the summer holidays. The e-Discharge system speeds up administration as secretaries do not have to be available to deal with notes and letters, which in turn accelerates the turnover of beds. Dr Yadlapalli Kumar, consultant paediatrician at the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, said: "The population here doubles during the holiday period, and in some areas it can triple. With the e-Discharge system, the time it takes for case notes to be fully dealt with has been cut by days and now they are ready before the patient leaves." The system is now being used in other departments, and is expected to be used for all inpatient activity at the trust over the coming year.
