Quality standard

Quality statement 2: Sharing information

Quality statement 2: Sharing information

Quality statement

Providers of health or social care services send a discharge summary, including details of the person's current medicines, with a person who transfers to or from a care home.

Rationale

Good communication about a resident's medicines is a key factor in preventing medication errors when care home residents transfer between care settings, and also promotes continuity of care following transfer. Providers of health or social care should ensure that comprehensive records of medicines are sent with a person when they are transferred from one care setting to another, including information on what medicines are being taken and related information, such as dosage.

Quality measures

The following measures can be used to assess the quality of care or service provision specified in the statement. They are examples of how the statement can be measured, and can be adapted and used flexibly.

Structure

Evidence of local arrangements to ensure that a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, is sent with a person when they transfer to or from a care home.

Data source: Local data collection.

Process

a) Proportion of transfers of people to a care home in which a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, is sent with the person.

Numerator – the number in the denominator in which a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, is sent with the person.

Denominator – the number of transfers of people to a care home.

Data source: Local data collection.

b) Proportion of transfers of people from a care home in which a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, is sent with the person.

Numerator – the number in the denominator in which a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, is sent with the person.

Denominator – the number of transfers of people from a care home.

Data source: Local data collection.

What the quality statement means for different audiences

Service providers (such as care homes, hospitals, intermediate care services) ensure that a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, is sent with a person who transfers to or from a care home.

Health and social care practitioners compile and send a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, with a person who transfers to or from a care home.

Commissioners stipulate that providers of health or social care services have processes in place that enable the sharing of a discharge summary, including details of a person's current medicines, when a person transfers to or from a care home. NHS England area teams and clinical commissioning groups should ensure that health and social care providers are aware that these processes should be in place.

People who move into or from a care home have an accurate and complete summary of their details and care, including detailed information about their current medicines, sent from their previous place of care to their new place of care so that they can safely continue with their treatment.

Source guidance

Managing medicines in care homes. NICE guideline SC1 (2014), recommendations 1.3.2 to 1.3.4

Definitions of terms used in this quality statement

Discharge summary

A discharge summary should contain the following information as a minimum:

  • the person's details, including full name, date of birth, NHS number, address and weight (for those aged under 16 or where appropriate, for example, frail older residents)

  • GP's details

  • details of other relevant contacts defined by the resident and/or their family members or carers (for example, the consultant, regular pharmacist, specialist nurse)

  • known allergies and reactions to medicines or ingredients, and the type of reaction experienced

  • medicines the resident is currently taking, including name, strength, form, dose, timing and frequency, how the medicine is taken (route of administration) and what for (indication), if known

  • changes to medicines, including medicines started, stopped or dosage changed, and reason for change

  • date and time the last dose of any 'when required' medicine was taken or any medicine given less often than once a day (weekly or monthly medicines)

  • other related information, including when the medicine should be reviewed or monitored, and any support the person needs to carry on taking the medicine (adherence support)

  • what information has been given to the resident and/or family members or carers.

[NICE's guideline on managing medicines in care homes, recommendation 1.7.3]