Factors Causing Delayed Discharges of Patients receiving Physiotherapy in an Intermediate Care Team.

Doreen Caesar
Purpose:

There has been an increased number of patients to the team who require physiotherapy input. The increased patient admissions have also been contributed to by the NHS England’s 10-year plan of treating patients out of hospitals to reduce the pressures on them.

Pathways such as the non-weightbearing pathway adds to the delayed patients’ data. By their nature, patients are likely to have a longer-term input.

At present, delayed discharges due to physiotherapy are not well understood. Therefore, an understanding and resolution of the delays will be beneficial to the team’s effectiveness.



Methods:

A mixed method of quantitative data on delayed discharges between May and October 2022 and focus group discussions with physiotherapists was employed.

A mixed method of quantitative data on delayed discharges between May and October 2022 and focus group discussions with physiotherapists was employed.


Results:

 The team generally discharged patients within 10 days with physiotherapy input taking 13 days. 21% of patients referred to the team were delayed beyond the expected 17days of discharge. Of those delayed, 62% were having physiotherapy input. Some patients waited at least 14 days before seeing a physiotherapist.

Six main themes of acceptable number of physiotherapy visits, factors leading to further input, factors causing delayed discharges, physiotherapy goal setting, induction of new physiotherapy staff and suggestions for improvement were discussed.

 


Conclusion(s):

Physiotherapists treat patients within 13 days. Delays are however being caused by waiting longer to be seen by a physiotherapist, being unwell, awaiting equipment, awaiting ongoing therapy input in the community, inappropriate referrals from nurses and physiotherapists completing tasks out of their professional remit. 

Management of the physiotherapy waiting list by a physiotherapist gate keeper could reduce the waiting times and delays of patients receiving physiotherapy in the team. 




Implications:

Delayed discharges of patients receiving physiotherapy in ICT are caused by both internal and external factors.

Better management of the waiting list could immediately reduce some of the delays reported.






Funding acknowledgements:
No funding was received for this work.
Keywords:
Intermediate Care
Physiotherapy
Delayed Discharges
Primary topic:
Community based rehabilitation
Second topic:
Older people
Third topic:
Other
Did this work require ethics approval?:
Yes
Name the institution and ethics committee that approved your work:
University of Northampton
Provide the ethics approval number:
FHSHEA000333
Has any of this material been/due to be published or presented at another national or international conference prior to the World Physiotherapy Congress 2025?:
Yes

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