Delayed hospital handovers: impact assessment of patient harm

Delayed hospital handovers: impact assessment of patient harm This report, based on a structured clinical review of handover delays at hospital emergency departments across England, finds that the proportion of patients who could be experiencing unacceptable levels of preventable harm is significant. Over eight in ten of those whose ‘handover’ (from ambulance clinician to hospital clinician) was delayed beyond 60 minutes were assessed as having potentially experienced some level of harm; 53 per cent low harm, 23 per cent moderate harm and 9 per cent (one patient in ten) could have been said to have experienced severe harm. Association of Ambulance Chief Executives