A new survey has revealed that the Government’s Hospital at Night (HAN) model has been adopted by almost 80% of NHS trusts across England, Wales and Scotland.
It has also been actively taken up in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand and increasingly across EU member states.
The Hospital at Night 2008 UK Implementation Survey is the second major assessment of progress since HAN was introduced in 2004. In 2006 the original survey report for England found that just 48% of NHS trusts had started to or had completed implementation of the approach to managing care out of hours.
Since it was piloted with four NHS trusts in 2003/04, HAN is now being implemented across each of the four countries in the UK.
Gerry Bolger, HAN’s director, said: “Hospital at Night is in reality not an optional extra but a model of good care in today’s quality and patient-focused NHS. The model is recognised both across the UK and internationally as an effective way of managing care out of hours.”
The survey assessed the impact of the model across the NHS and looked at how trusts were adopting or using the multiprofessional approach. As well as providing new opportunities and enhanced roles for nursing staff, some hospital trusts using the model are reporting a reduction in clinical incidents.
Copyright PA Business 2008
