Nurses at Flinders Medical Centre in South Australia will be discharging patients as part of a new trial that is expected to create more efficient health services.

Beginning early next year, the trial will see nurses given the responsibility of discharging patients based on a patient's condition improving to predetermined levels. "It will mean the patient may be able to leave the hospital when they have a particular blood pressure, temperature or blood result within a normal range for that patient," said Elizabeth Dabars, chief executive officer of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (SA Branch). "At this point in time, we have a situation where patients are sitting in beds waiting for discharge where people are aware that their condition...