Better together: a day hospital's move towards integrated care

Abstract

Background/Aims This article will present how an interdisciplinary team working within a day hospital in an acute NHS Foundation Trust embraced the opportunities of practice development to work ‘better together’ to meet the complex needs of individuals using the service. Methods By working closely with key stakeholders, the team developed an integrated service intersecting both primary and secondary care boundaries. Results The principles of practice development, including shared vision and focus, ensured changes made to the service were patient centred. These changes included a 360-degree assessment by professional staff with extended skills beyond their own professional role, and a virtual ward round, where individual patients are reviewed by an interdisciplinary team in the community with a focus on avoiding hospital admission, with quicker access to the day hospital. The team worked closely with their local university towards achieving practice development unit status, demonstrating a rigorous approach to the development of services provided by the day hospital. Conclusions The article highlights both the value of practice development and significantly the value of an interdisciplinary team working within a day hospital setting.