Ensuring quality immediate discharge letters from mental health

Immediate discharge letters (IDLs) from the mental health unit at Forth Valley Royal Hospital are vital in ensuring safe patient transfer to primary care. The purpose of this paper is to develop a standardised list of information that should be included in all IDLs, and to assess its use in practice.

Three audit cycles analysed IDLs over two-week periods for their inclusion of the standardised list. The data were assessed qualitatively.

Baseline measurement showed 48.7 per cent of discharges had a brief reason for admission, 15.4 per cent included a description of the patient’s progress during inpatient admission, 35.9 per cent had medication alterations included and 23.1 per cent included follow-up arrangements. Following a series of interventions, analysis of subsequent IDLs demonstrated that 76.2 per cent of discharges had a brief reason for admission, 76.2 per cent included a description of the patient’s progress during inpatient admission, 76.2 per cent had medication alterations included and 71.4 per cent included follow-up arrangements.

The standardised list developed will ensure quality communication and safe patient transfer to primary care; the application of this list was effective and cost neutral.