13 May 2026

Patients are benefiting from improved weekend-discharge processes, thanks to closer collaboration between therapy teams, the Care Transfer Hub and discharge colleagues at Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group.

The changes are already delivering results, with weekend discharges increasing by 7%, with the most significant improvement seen on Sundays.

Traditionally, some patients who were medically ready to leave hospital weren’t able to go home over the weekend as they needed therapy support. To tackle this, teams across the Group and system partners worked together to redesign how weekend discharges are supported, ensuring patients can return home sooner, safely, and with the right support in place.

Additional therapy capacity has been introduced at weekends, alongside earlier identification of patients who can be safely discharged. This has included:

  • Extra weekend physiotherapy and occupational therapy cover
  • Closer joint-working with the Care Transfer Hub which helps patients return home safely, confidently, and with the right support in place. This is a seven-day service from 8am to 8pm
  • A new joint 8.30am daily meeting to prioritise patients and allocate work effectively
  • Strengthening the Care Transfer Hub with new therapy leads and a discharge liaison nurse

Since the changes were introduced, the Group has seen:

  • A 7% increase in weekend discharges, with the greatest improvement on Sundays
  • Significant reductions in average length of stay:
    • Complex patients reduced hospital stay from 19.58 days to 10.13 days (December 2024 to December 2025)
    • Other patients reduced from 11 days to 6 days over the same period
  • Fewer therapy-related discharge delays on Monday mornings, reducing from 5-20 patients previously to 1-10 patients

Ned Hobbs, Group Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Chief Executive, SaTH, said: “This is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when teams work together with a shared focus on what matters most – our patients.

“By strengthening weekend therapy provision and aligning it closely with the Care Transfer Hub and discharge teams, we are removing unnecessary delays and helping more people go home sooner, safely and with the right support in place.

“These improvements not only benefit patients and their families but also help us make better use of hospital beds and support flow across the whole system. This work is part of our wider Urgent & Emergency Care improvement programme that is now delivering real results – April was our best month of average ambulance handover performance since the pandemic, and we thank all colleagues contributing to safer and more timely care for our patients.”

This news comes as Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Community and Hospitals NHS Group celebrates its annual Improvement Week which celebrates the work taking place across its services to improve care for patients and make things more efficient for colleagues.

The Group will continue to build on this collaborative approach as part of its wider work to improve patient flow, reduce unnecessary stays, and support timely discharge across the week.