A new Discharge Lounge has opened at Royal Preston Hospital, offering improved facilities for patients as they leave hospital.
Relocated to the front of the hospital, the new enlarged facility has capacity for up to 21 patients at a time and offers a comfortable and welcoming space for people at the end of their stay in hospital.
Use of the lounge helps to manage the flow of patients through the hospital, freeing beds on wards for those who need them.
Clinical Business Manager Karen Hatch said: “The operational and nursing teams are confident that the new setting will support greater patient flow through the hospital whilst supporting our patients and their families with a purpose-built discharge lounge.
“The new lounge is easy to access by family members and ambulance, and accepts patients from our medical, surgical and rehabilitation wards, assessment areas and emergency department, ensuring we support maximised flow through the hospital."
The new purpose-built discharge lounge offers an 18-capacity seating area along with three side rooms for patients who require use of a bed or stretcher.
During their time on the unit, patients are cared for by a team of nurses and healthcare assistants who spend time with each patient to complete the formal discharge process.
The clinical team is led by Lead Nurse Michelle Hayes and Sister Pam Cuthbert, working alongside a team of nurses, healthcare assistant and a ward clerk.
