Last Updated on August 18, 2016

NHS England and partners have published a series of quick guides to support local health and care systems. The Guides, which they are keen to raise awareness of, provide practical tips, case studies and links to useful documents, which can be used to implement solutions to commonly experienced issues.

Want to find out how the care sector can support local systems in the run up to winter? Want to break down barriers between health and care organisations? Want to find out how Leicester has achieved a 60% reduction in care home admission costs? Want to address the myths around sharing patient information and assessments? Want to use other people’s ideas and resources? The Guides are designed to answer these questions and much more.

The most recent in the suite of Guides is Managing Care Home Closures, launched at the end of July. Other Guides include:

• Supporting patients’ choices at discharge to avoid long hospital stays.
• Better use of care at home.
• Clinical input to care homes.
• Identifying local care home placements.
• Improving hospital discharge into the care sector.
• Sharing patient information.
• Technology in care homes.

Speaking about the Guides, Frank Ursell, Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Nursing Home Association, said that, 'The Quick Guides are full of helpful examples of how care homes and homecare providers are working with local health and care systems to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and delayed transfers of care.'

The Guides are the results of a comprehensive review of the NHS urgent and emergency care system in England announced by Sir Bruce Keogh in 2013.

The Guides and more information on the NHS urgent and emergency care review are available on the NHS website here.