Standards › Standard 24 › Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
Procedure · MTR-SOP-001 · Version 1.0 · Approved by the ASF Expert Committee
Supports: 24.4
At a glance
- Provide or coordinate travel and accommodation for each international patient around the procedure.
- Confirm the arrangements before the patient travels (MTR-REG-001).
- Make sure the patient has transport home after discharge.
- Record each arrangement and who arranged it.
- Stop and get help straight away if: a patient is discharged with no transport home.
1. Purpose
To make sure international patients are not left to arrange travel and accommodation alone (24.4).
2. Scope
| Applies to | Clinical and support staff in the hospital |
| Locations | All wards, clinics and departments of the facility |
| When | Whenever the activity described is carried out |
| Does not apply to | Activities covered by another document listed in section 15 |
3. Definitions
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Clinical lead | The doctor or nurse in charge of the area at the time |
4. Background
A patient who has to arrange their own travel and hotel after surgery may be left stranded. The facility does not have to do everything, but it must support the patient with the logistics.
5. Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility | Competence |
|---|---|---|
| International patient coordinator | Arranges and records the logistics | Manager |
6. Materials and equipment
| Item | Requirement | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Records and forms named in this document | Current version | Checked before use |
7. Safety
- Stop and call for help if a patient is at immediate risk. Do not delay urgent care to complete paperwork.
8. Before you start
- Confirm the forms and equipment named in this document are available and current.
9. Procedure
Step 1. Arrange.
- Arrange or coordinate travel and accommodation before the patient travels.
Key point: Arranged.
Step 2. Confirm transport home.
- Confirm transport home before discharge.
Key point: Confirmed.
Step 3. Record.
- Record each arrangement on MTR-REG-001.
Key point: Recorded.
10. Decision points
- No decision points in this procedure.
11. Special situations
| Situation | Action |
|---|---|
| Out of hours | Follow the same steps. Use the on-call contact on the wall of the area. |
12. Escalation
- Any serious problem goes to the duty clinical lead at once and to the clinical director the same day.
13. Monitoring
| Measure | Target | Frequency | Owner | If not met |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patients with logistics confirmed and transport home before discharge | 100% | Monthly | International patient coordinator | Escalate to medical director |
14. Records
| Record | Kept in | Retention |
|---|---|---|
| Record named in this document | Patient record or the area file | the period set by the facility’s records policy years |
15. Training
- Staff are trained in this document at induction and refreshed each year, with a recorded competency check.
16. Related documents
| ID | Title | Use |
|---|---|---|
| MTR-REG-001 | Logistics coordination register | Register |
17. Evidence
| Reference | Note |
|---|---|
| E-009 | Based on the WHO Patient Safety Curriculum Guide (2011) and the NICE guidance on venous thromboembolic diseases (NG158, 2020). |
| E-006 | ASF Policy Framework v1.2. Adapted. |
| E-009 | ASF Expert Committee consensus. |
18. Change history
| Version | Date | What changed | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | the date of approval | First version | set Expert Committee approval |
E-learning for this document
References
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Policy Framework v1.2. (E-006)
- Accréditation Sans Frontières (2026). ASF Expert Committee consensus on Standard 1. (E-009)