Hospital at Home service launches at Royal Surrey
A new service has been launched by the Royal Surrey to allow patients to receive hospital level care in their own homes.
It's to try and avoid extended hospital stays for those living with frailty.
Frailty is a complex condition which can often lead to potentially avoidable hospital admissions.
Once in hospital, patients can spend large amounts of time in bed which can quickly cause muscle wastage and lead to deteriorating health.
James Adams, Royal Surrey Consultant Geriatrician, said:
“Hospital isn’t always the best environment for patients living with frailty.
"In many cases, home is a safer, healthier environment and it’s usually where they would prefer to stay.
"NHS research has shown that patients are eight times less likely to experience functional decline and five times less likely to acquire an infection when treated at home compared to a ward in the hospital.
"This leads to improved outcomes for patients at less cost to the health and care system.”
Patients on the Hospital at Home ward receive care from a team that includes nurses, doctors, a consultant geriatrician, pharmacists the patient's GP, family and carers.
Their care includes at least one in-person visit each day from a member of their core medical team and catch ups as needed.
Patients are admitted on a case-by-case basis.
James Adams added:
“It is important to emphasise that this is not a one-size fits all solution. Cases will be individually assessed before admission and joining the virtual ward is a choice made with the clinician, patient and, where relevant, their carer. Since the pilot phase the team has been blown away by the positive feedback received from patients and their families and carers.”
As well as patients benefitting from receiving care at home, the service also aims to help to free up beds in the hospital for patients who do need to be treated in a hospital setting
A 10-day trial of seven patients on the Hospital at Home ward for an average of 2.28 days showed that this freed up 16 hospital-based beds.
The initiative, which was first successfully piloted by the Trust in December 2022, has now cared for more than 100 patients