An integrated solution to increasing access to national specialist rehabilitation beds
Convery, Claire; Dowler, Hilda; Roxburgh, Denise
• The National Rehabilitation Hospital (NRH) delivers specialist rehabilitation services and education dedicated to returning patients to the highest level of independence
possible and aims to maximize the quality of their lives. The National Delayed Transfers of Care List (DTOC) demonstrates the demand for both patients requiring access
to the NRH and patients who have competed their rehabilitation within the NRH, but their discharge is delayed to their residential placements.• One of the challenges facing the NRH is the ability to transfer/discharge patients safely once their rehabilitation period has finished. When a patient’s discharge is
delayed, they experience unnecessary prolonged stays in hospital (Independent Expert Review of Delayed Discharges, 2018). When a patients discharge from the NRH is
delayed this then has a direct impact on patients within other sites accessing specialised rehabilitation.• On 16th January 2024, there were 14 patients within the NRH that were listed on the National DTOC report. This equated to 2267 Bed days Lost (BDLs) by patients who no
longer required rehabilitation care. Within the same period 27 patients discharges were listed on the National DTOC report awaiting access to the NRH. This equated to
1408 BDL nationally.• One resourced bed has the capacity to facilitate rehabilitation treatment for (4-5) patients in one year assuming an anticipated length of stay of 70-90 days. There is a
careful balance to be struck between maintaining the standards of service and patient centred focus, while also meeting the needs of the HSE and the wider health system
by ensuring continuous patient access.
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