“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” Paul BataldanHospital discharge is a complex and challenging process for healthcare professionals, patients, and carers. Effective discharge planning and communication provides an opportunity to improve a patient's health, reduce patient readmission, support a better staff experience and improve effectiveness. The discharge summary is one of the most critical documents in healthcare and yet there is little or no training given to medical staff on i) how to write effective summaries, ii) the consequences of poor discharge communication on the quality of healthcare information and iii) the implications for the NHS and patients.
