Shared Transfer of Care is professional, integrated and supportive care.

It places the person, their family and carers at the centre of the transfer plan.

If implemented well, it allows everyone in our health system to move safely through the different levels of care, regardless of their changing needs or conditions.

Transfers of care refers to the movement of people between service locations, providers or different levels of care within the same location as their condition and care needs change.

In Tasmania, these movements (transfers) are touch points in the system that can either support or negatively impact on health outcomes.

The consequences of poor-quality transfers of care have a significant negative impact on patients, families and their carers, and place added stress on the Tasmanian health system.

Primary Health Tasmania’s Shared Transfer of Care program was designed to:

• improve transfers of care between acute, primary and community services sectors for people living with chronic complex needs
• focus on capacity-building and system redesign to improve transfers of care and reduce avoidable hospital readmissions
• improve or ‘streamline’ existing practices and processes within the health system.

Improving transfers of care is a shared responsibility.

It will take the collaboration of the primary, sub-acute and community services sectors to overcome the risks of poor transfers of care that lead to negative health outcomes for individuals, and added costs for our healthcare system.