Grafton Base Hospital Day Stay Joint Replacement

Northern NSW Local Health District

Finalist: Transforming Patient Experience Award

Admissions for total knee and hip replacement procedures usually last several days. The Grafton Base Hospital (GBH) Day Stay Joint Replacement program was developed to give eligible elective total knee replacement and total hip replacement patients the chance to receive their operation as a day only procedure, instead of the average 3-4 day stay.

The day stay program started at GBH in 2021 and has had 53 eligible patients receive their operation using this model of care. Of these:

• 22 patients (42%) were discharged on the same day
• 27 patients (51%) were discharged the day after surgery
• 4 patients (8%) were discharged 2 days after surgery.

The combined average length of stay was 0.65 days.

Evaluation of day stay patients showed no adverse outcomes compared to non-day stay patients needing emergency department care.

This program was one of the first day stay joint replacement programs nationally. It provided the foundation and knowledge that day only procedures such as these, are achievable through model redesign, teamwork and collaboration with patients and their carers. ​