BARNSLEY has come out top nationally in ensuring patients don’t stay in hospital any longer than necessary.

According to latest NHS figures, Barnsley has one of the lowest delayed transfer of care results in the country - meaning that patients being cared for in Barnsley are moved as quickly and effectively as possible from hospital to wherever they need to go.

The service is run by an alliance of seven partners: RightCare Barnsley, Barnsley Hospital Discharge Case Management Team, Barnsley Hospital Social Work Team, SWYT Intermediate Care and Community Nursing Services, Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group, BMBC Reablement, and Barnsley Healthcare Federation.

Health chiefs put their success down to the close relationship between these organisations.

Jacqueline Howarth, service manager for RightCare Barnsley, said: “It is a real team effort in Barnsley and we have all put a lot of hard work and effort into this.

“We are proactive and cooperate with each other while focusing on the patient and what they need. If there is a blockage in the system we unblock it together.

“We look for solutions to minimise delayed transfer of care and make sure people are in the right place at the right time.”

The alliance has just won an ‘Extra Brilliant’ award as part of Barnsley Hospital’s staff recognition scheme.