Secondary Care Access and Discharge Services - AWARD

"Access and Discharge Support Services" is considered to include a wide range of services required to successfully improve the flow of patients 'in to' and 'out of' a variety of healthcare service settings, thus improving the efficient operation of healthcare services by reducing delays, improving the patient experience, and eliminating unnecessary delays.

To be effective such services will often need to work closely with and complement existing NHS service provision, by providing an effective link or integration between the various parts of the wider health and social care system (primary care, secondary/tertiary care, and the social care sector) in order to ensure the prompt and efficient flow of patients into and out of a healthcare setting.

These services are anticipated to be utilised by NHS (and other) primary and secondary care provider organisations, such as those providing hospital and community care. This includes acute providers (largely hospital based services), ambulance services, community providers (including district nursing and health visiting), integrated providers (for example those providing both acute and community care), mental health providers, and other specialist providers. It may also include primary care providers such as GPs, dentists, other community based providers, and Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCG's).