All staff working in hospitals and care homes are being urged to ‘Think Red Bag’ when preparing for a care home resident to attend and return from hospital. 

The Red Bag works as a visual prompt to provide a central location for the transfer of information, appropriate medication, belongings and preferences of an individual. The bag is used if a resident is required to be transferred from their care home to hospital.

The Red Bag Scheme operates in care homes in Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) areas and HSCP areas in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area. The Red Bag improves links between hospitals and care homes. Using a red bag helps decision-making and management of the resident while in hospital and on discharge, promoting person-centred care.

The Red Bag contains:

• standardised information about the resident’s general health
• information on any existing medical conditions that they have
• any medication that they’re taking
• information highlighting any concerns around their health and
• any personal belongings that they may have (for example, clothes for discharge and while in hospital glasses, hearing aids, dentures etc.)

The Red Bag stays with the resident at all points of their hospital journey. When residents are ready to go home, a copy of their discharge summary, which details every aspect of care that they received while in hospital, will be placed in the Red Bag so that care home staff have access to this information when the resident returns.

Alan Gilmour, Planning Manager within our HSCP said: “Care homes play a central role in supporting key HSCP strategic priorities, in particular early intervention and reducing unscheduled hospital admissions. The Red Bag aids better hospital discharge arrangements and better management of patient care in the most appropriate setting. After using the Red Bag our care homes reported fewer occasions of a resident’s paperwork, property and belongings going missing. Staff also said that the Red Bag made it easier to manage paperwork as everything can be stored safely and securely inside. The Red Bag Scheme has improved the management of unplanned admissions for both the resident and staff whenever they have occurred.”

By everyone remembering to ‘Think Red Bag’ we’re helping to support our care home residents and the professionals caring for them in the best possible way.

We need everyone involved to:

• Make sure the Red Bag information and leaflets are visible
• Share the information with colleagues and explain that this is best practice
• Ensure that the Red Bag stays with residents throughout their whole in-patient stay in hospital
• Ensure to complete the checklist to help make sure paperwork is returned to the Red Bag throughout the in-patient journey and prior to discharge

Staff can download and print paperwork for use in:

• care homes 
• hospital 
• Scottish Ambulance Service

For any queries about the Red Bag process or if you locate a missing Red Bag, email redbagenquiries@ggc.scot.nhs.uk.