What is the Red Bag?
The ‘Red Bag’ keeps important information about a care home resident’s health in one place, easily accessible to ambulance and hospital staff and supports care homes, the ambulance service and the local hospital to meet the requirements of the NICE guidance on transition between inpatient hospital setting and care homes.
What goes in the Red Bag?
The bag contains standardised information about the resident’s general health, any existing medical conditions they have, medication they are taking, as well as highlighting the current health concern. This means that ambulance and hospital staff can determine the treatment a resident needs more effectively. The ‘My Care Wishes’’ folder will also travel in the bag with the resident for the ambulance service and hospital staff to be aware of decisions made prior to admission.
The red bag also has room for personal belongings such as clothes for day of discharge, glasses, hearing aid, dentures etc. and it stays with the patient whilst they are in hospital.
What are the benefits of the red bag?
· 
Reduced length of stay for resident in hospital
· Feedback from Care Homes
· More effective, quicker handover to LAS
· Clearer coordination of medications and TTOs
· Improved relationships and communications between hospital and care homes
· Improved communication across agencies regarding residents clinical needs
· Improved communication for discharge planning
· Improved person-centred care for residents
· Developing plans to conduct an audit in hospital
We are approaching 6 care homes local to the WSHFT to trial this project for 3 months. They will then provide constructive feedback which will be vital to the implementation of the bag before rolling out to more care homes in the community.
If you have any questions or would like further information please contact Ben Harvey on:
Tel: 01473 770276 Email: Ben.Harvey@suffolk.nhs.uk
