From Proof of Concept to Impact: Cutting Length of Stay at NUH

Working from December 2025 – May 2026 Nottingham University Hospital Trust (NUH) delivered a length of stay reduction of two days across six geriatric wards, with the support of IMPOWER.

IMPOWER were initially commissioned by NUH in July 2025 for a brief proof of concept project, to test the impact of a strengths-based approach to discharge. This work identified opportunities that could be directly taken forward by the Trust, together with wider possibilities across the place partnership.

NUH and IMPOWER created a business case to take the work forward which received the support of the Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB and NHSE. The case was built on delivering a reduction in length of stay that would enable NUH to capture the financial benefit delivered, achieve this through consistently delivering improved outcomes for patients, but minimising the time spent in an Acute setting.

To deliver the length of stay reduction IMPOWER worked alongside staff on the wards, building relationships and delivering change every day at the front-line. The work consistently balanced culture change, with leveraging best practice tools, setting daily rhythms and embedding a ward routine that will enable the impact to stick. Generating confidence with frontline staff enabled greater ownership of the changes delivered.