Dr. John Murphy:

Getting the child home is the challenge. "Discharge planning" is a term that is coming more in all aspects of medicine. Up to now it has been the other way around. When a patient is admitted to hospital there is a lot of fuss. Charts are filled and everybody is looking at and examining the patient. Going home is often a much quieter affair and may not receive the same degree of emphasis and attention. The newer concept is that the discharge of the patient is planned almost as soon as the patient arrives in hospital. On the very day the patient arrives, plans are made for what will happen when he or she is going home. Perhaps Ms Wall would like to comment on discharge nurses.