People often move in and out of a number of care settings throughout their lives, both in hospital and the community. Collaborative working and good communication are cornerstones of effective practice in ensuring that people needing care have the supporting services they need at home or elsewhere.
It is important that service users, informal carers and families have an accurate and informed view of general priorities in the provision of services. Service providers should therefore ensure that care staff take time to explain the capabilities and limitations of services so that expectations are appropriate. It is of equal importance that shortfalls in services are identified with users and those systems are in place to influence strategic planning.
The following pages offer guidance on some key aspects of transferring care and providing a seamless service to support provision of all aspects of healthcare to patients. They are:
