Getting you home on time

Great communication, the presence of a medical decision maker and building a team culture around the morning huddle have made the 1 by 9 initiative a huge success.

The changes are part of Project RED, a hospital initiative at Westmead to improve the patient experience of care.

B5A/C is one of 16 wards at Westmead hospital currently embedding the one by nine culture, which seeks to discharge one patient by 9am each morning so patient flow from ED is maintained.

Westmead Hospital B5A/C nursing unit manager Matthias Langer said the initiative comes down to planning and effective communication.

“We have a journey board meeting at 8.15 in the morning each day with a medical decision maker,” Mr Langer said.

“We confirm our definite discharges of the day, work on patients who might be going today and decide who is our one by nine for tomorrow.

“Without that medical decision-maker it makes it more difficult to plan for the following day.”

While B5A/C has been implementing this approach for awhile, the one before nine initiative has really been ingrained into the culture.

“Build your team so you can have all your key stakeholders together for a small period of time and make it protected time to discuss what’s happening on the ward and how you can plan for the day ahead,” Mr Langer said.

For more information about Project RED at Westmead Hospital contact Elizabeth.Phillips1@health.nsw.gov.au