What are the findings of the committee regarding communication between services and their coordination?
The committee found that there was poor communication and coordination between services. The subfinding of poor communication between services was rated as moderate confidence due to methodological limitations, while the finding of poor coordination between services was of moderate confidence, mainly due to methodological concerns. The committee noted that the system relied upon letters going between care settings, in the absence of a universal NHS information system. The subfinding of information after discharge from HF services being insufficient was rated as very low due to methodology and it having come from only one paper. The professionals on the committee felt that problems with communication occurred in their workplace and that services can require a full-time administrator in order to facilitate good communication. The committee felt that HF specialist nurses would ideally co-ordinate care of HF for people who are being actively managed by specialist services, but that this could be passed to general practitioners once the patient was stabilised and on optimal treatment.