The time a patient, using a bed and/or using delivery facilities, stays in one ward. When a patient takes home leave this should be recorded as a ward transfer to "home" and a new ward stay should begin on return. The nursing episode or Consultant episode (hospital provider), hospital stay or hospital provider spell however remain uninterrupted.
In the case of patients using maternity wards of the same type on the same site, these should be recorded as one ward. There will therefore only be one ward stay rather than transfers between wards. For local purposes, however, such transfers may be identified.
For each ward stay there should be a named nurse who is responsible for the nursing care of the patient. If the named nurse changes, the change is recorded.
See Ward