Complex Discharge Team
The Complex Discharge Team work within the hospital to provide a holistic approach to preparing for discharge.
We understand that it is not just the child but the family who will require care and support during this hospital admission and beyond within their local community. Our aim, working alongside the ward team, is to facilitate a timely and effective discharge as soon as is clinically appropriate. This includes acting as a conduit between internal and external professionals as required to resolve any issues which may be acting as a barrier to the safe and timely discharge for a child.. A weekly ‘Social Ward Round’ which takes place each Thursday morning, provides the opportunity for ward staff to raise any issues and seek timely advice and guidance from the Complex Discharge Team. This can be support for children and their families in terms of housing, financial support, help with equipment or liaison with community health services. The ward round can also allow the ward staff to raise any issues/barriers to discharge or repatriation they are experiencing and seek appropriate guidance from our team.
We are a team that are child and family focussed and are dedicated to ensuring a safe and effective discharge from Alder Hey back into the child’s home and local community.
The right intervention early on will help to ensure that our children and their families receive the best hospital experience possible, including the way home, no matter the journey taken!
Contact details
Meet the team
Carol Rowlands
Head of Complex Care and Community Nursing Services
Carol provides clinical leadership to the team and oversees the Complex Discharge process to ensure that children who have complex medical and or social needs benefit from a coordinated approach to enable a planned effective and timely discharge.
Dr Jane Ratcliffe:
Consultant Paediatrician and Acting Medical Lead
Jane provides the team with medical support and advice to ensure multi-speciality medical care is appropriately coordinated.
Lindsey Marlton
Service Manager
Lindsey is responsible for the operational leadership and service development of the team, working closely with the clinical leads to ensure that there are no operational barriers to the clinical process.
Romi Eden
Operational Support Manager
Romi provides the day to day operational support for the Complex Discharge Team, including the facilitation of MDT’s when and where required, and is the ‘Single Point of Contact’ for complex discharge.
Mark Mcnulty
Complex Discharge Lead Nurse
Mark is a dual qualified nurse/social worker and can provide support around early help assessments (EHAT), social care referrals and Continuing Care eligibility checklists and assessments for those children who are likely to require a care package to live safely at home.
Cathryn Livingstone
Operational Therapist
Cathryn undertakes Occupational Therapy assessment and planning, particularly in relation to any equipment or housing needs and provides advice regarding equipment and adaptations for the home.
Sarah Campbell
Short Breaks and Early Help Social Worker
Sarah is a social worker employed by Liverpool City Council and seconded to the team for a day a week. Sarah is able to link families in to the local early help offer, including short breaks and can provide specialist social care advice and support in relation to the social impact of a child’s complex health needs on both them and their family.
