Patients from Luton who need extra care after leaving hospital are set to benefit from a new scheme designed to help them recover at home and reduce delays in being discharged.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is extending its Home First scheme to patients across Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire from today (2 November), following a pilot at Bedford Hospital earlier this year.
Luton Council is also launching its own Home First Recover to Reable scheme as part of the wider changes.
Home First is designed for patients who need new care arrangements or increased support from carers before they can safely return home.
Under the scheme, patients will receive up to four care visits a day from a home care provider during their first 72 hours at home, or for up to a week, depending on their local authority.
Rather than having all their ongoing care needs assessed in hospital, patients will be supported to return home first, where their requirements can be assessed in their own surroundings. Further care and support will then be arranged according to their individual needs.
Dr Tammy Angel, chief clinical transformation officer at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is an excellent initiative that aims to get patients home as soon as they are medically stable to leave hospital. It also ensures that more people have the opportunity to get home over a weekend and reduces avoidable hospital related harm associated with prolonged hospital stays.
“We are proud of the collaborative work that we have been doing with system partners and care providers, and this scheme continues our commitment to improving outcomes for both patients and services.”
Feedback from patients involved in the pilot suggested they preferred recovering in their own homes, with some reporting relief at leaving hospital and improvements to their wellbeing.
One patient who used the scheme said: “I would definitely recommend this to others in hospital as it allowed me to go home and have confidence.”
More information about the Home First scheme is available on the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust website.
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