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Gloucestershire NHS introduces pharmacy plan to speed up patient discharge

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Delays waiting for medication can often slow patient discharges from hospital

An NHS trust has introduced pharmacy changes to help patients who are medically fit to leave hospital sooner.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is focusing on getting TTOs (drugs To Take Out) to the pharmacy by 13:00 GMT each day.

It says this reduces the length of stay for patients by several hours and can release up to 20 beds a day.

"That's 20 people not waiting in the emergency department," said medical director, Professor Mark Pietroni.

The plan has been called 'Early Meds to Release Beds' by the trust.

Patients whose TTOs are with the pharmacy by 13:00 GMT are usually discharged about four hours later.

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"This isn't just about pharmacy dispensing, we have been pushing to bring dispensing forward," said the trust's chief operating officer Qadar Zada.

"It's not as simple as increasing the number of pharmacists, and this problem isn't unique to Gloucester, all trusts face this challenge," he added.

Mr Zada said the new initiative, in operation at hospitals in Gloucester and Cheltenham, has attracted attention from other NHS trusts around the country.

"Lots of people are asking for our findings, it's been phenomenal.

"Ultimately, it's about reuniting people to get home in a timely way," added Mr Zada.

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