Data-driven initiative boosts patient safety and discharges
A quality improvement project at Newham Hospital is transforming patient care, helping to keep patients safe and speeding up discharges.
The M-BRACE project was designed to improve safety, communication and efficiency through a structured, data-driven approach. It's success has now been recognised by the HSJ, becoming a finalist in the HSJ Awards 2025.
The project brought together clinicians, managers, data analysts, medical experts, and patients to help understand what ideal inpatient care could be.
Starting one ward at a time, the team introduced structured check-ins throughout the day, informed by real time data:
- Morning huddles (8–9am): ward teams meet with the support of a new dashboard showing real-time patient information.
- Board rounds (10–12pm): best-practice reviews of every patient’s care, guided by live data.
- Afternoon check-ins (3–4pm): a final review to track progress on discharges and identify any patients becoming unwell.
The dashboard – linked to the Cerner system – brings together key information in one place. This includes which patients are at higher risk of falls, low blood sugar, or delays in assessment and transport. Having this at their fingertips meant that clinicians could prioritise patients who needed urgent attention and prevent deterioration before it happens.
After a period of just four weeks, the results were striking. For example, the number of patients receiving blood thinners (to prevent blood clots) doubled in one ward. This earlier treatment saved lives and improved patient safety.
The changes have also made the discharge process more efficient. Before M-BRACE, only around 20% of patients were ready to leave by 5pm. Powered by the dashboard and regular team huddles, this rose to 90%, freeing up beds earlier in the day, easing pressure on the emergency department, and improving patient flow across the hospital.
When performance dipped after the initial success, the team acted quickly. They strengthened accountability after huddles, refreshed training for staff, and re-engaged clinical leads. Performance bounced back, showing the importance of sustaining momentum.
Auti Shhandra, the doctor who spearheaded this project shared:
How we started this was imagining what our ideal delivery of care would look like. Utilising high quality data we transformed care, improving communication, outcomes and staff satisfaction. How we ended was creating a culture that is proud of the care it delivers and has the tools and data to continually strive for improvement.
Staff say the project has made a real difference:
The project is strengthening the multidisciplinary collaboration where discharge planning is done with the input from the MDT - doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, and discharge coordinators, therefore promoting structured communication and collaboration, ensuring all team members are aligned on patient readiness and post-discharge needs .
It is also empowering the nurse in-charge in taking a central role in coordinating discharge planning giving them the opportunity to lead and advocate, patients therefore reducing last minute pressures on nurses in arranging medications, referrals to community and documentation. - Modesta - Professional Development Nurse
With its early success, M-BRACE is now being expanded to other wards across the hospital.