Delayed Setting Discharges

Identifying Attributes

Care Settings
Hospital Care
Country
United Kingdom, Channel Islands and Isle of Man
Publishing Organisation
Nuffield Trust and Health Foundation programme: QualityWatch
Type of Quality Indicator
Process
IOM Quality Dimension
Timeliness
Domain
Discharges

Defining Attributes

Definition

The proportion of patients in hospital for 21+ days who are due to be discharged to a particular setting but are delayed (two-week rolling average).

Numerator

The number of patients who have a length of stay 21+ days who stopped meeting the criteria to reside and are due to be discharged to a particular setting: home but in receipt of home care, a short-term bed, a permanent bed in a nursing or care home.

Denominator

Out of the number of patients in hospital for 21+ days set to be discharged to particular discharge setting as identified above. Discharge location is determined upon admission.

Exclusions

Patients with a length of stay less than 21 days.

Use of Risk Adjustment
No
Risk Adjustments

None

Stratifications

By delay reason (awaiting home-care, awaiting short-term bed, awaiting permanent bed in a nursing or care home).

Collection and Reporting Attributes

Type of Data Collection
Administrative data
Data Collection Methods

NHS Digital

Frequency of Data Collection
Daily
Frequency of Data Collection in Days
1
Reporting Frequency
Monthly
Reporting Frequency in Days
30
Indicator Has Recommended Targets
No

Source and Reference Attributes

Link to Measurement Tools
Quality Indicator Confirmed to be Part of a Program Used to Monitor Quality and Safety of Care Among Older People at a Population-Level between 2012-2022
Yes
Assessed by the Australian Consortium for Aged Care Collaborators as Generally Containing Good Properties (Importance and Scientific Acceptability)
No
Australian Consortium for Aged Care Endorsed
No
Identified by PHARMA-Care Project
No
Upload Date
02 December 2025