The Transfers of Care Around Medicines (TCAM) programme uses a safe and secure digital platform that enables clinical handover from the hospital to pharmacists in the community. This enables patients who may need extra support with their medication to be referred on discharge from the hospital to their community pharmacy to receive more support and advice. TCAM is used by a high proportion of trusts in the East Midlands.

Now mainstreamed by the NHS as part of the Discharge Medicines Service, this is a great example of how AHSNs not only spread innovation. Impacts continue to be sustained and amplified since our formal role ended in March 2020.

Solutions / actions taken

When people move between care providers or are discharged from hospital, they may need extra support in taking their prescribed medicines; especially if their medication or dosage has changed.

There is an increased risk associated with medicines and transfers of care; between 30 and 70% of patients experience unintentional changes to their treatment or medication error because of miscommunication between care providers.

TCAM was an AHSN Network adopt and spread programme with all regional AHSNs working to roll this out in their local area. We have supported this programme by assisting trusts in the East Midlands to understand implementation requirements and navigating potential barriers, disseminating TCAM software, facilitating system training and by engaging with community pharmacies to support awareness to increase completion of referrals from trusts. Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust was our first mental health trust to adopt TCAM as the national commission focused on acute hospitals. The innovation has been sustained as business as usual and we have seen some impressive results.

Impacts and outcomes from the project

• TCAM was identified as a response programme for COVID-19, to prevent avoidable re-admissions based on medication errors, to help with bed capacity within trusts during the pandemic.
• Estimated saving of £16,488,654 for the region’s health and care system from reduced readmissions to hospital in 2020/21.
• Spread to 75% of acute trusts across the East Midlands and uptake has continued after our support ended.