Hospital patients to be treated at home under new scheme

The Hospital at Home scheme identifies patients with conditions that are treatable at home, such as bronchitis and pneumonia and transfers care away from the hospital and into the patient’s place of residence.
At a health and wellbeing board meeting in Newbury, the head of adult social care for West Berkshire, Tandra Forster, said: “Trials are being conducted as ‘proof of project’. It has already been developed in the US, Canada and Australia and it has reduced demand in these areas.”
“The scheme aims to reduce demand by being able to help people in their own homes.”
Of the progress in West Berkshire she said: “They have made a lot of headway”.
The scheme’s project manager David Lightness said: “Three members of our team have been selected for the trials and we will be looking to iron out any gaps.
“After the trials, a board will hopefully approve the project and then two real patients from each unitary area will enter the scheme.”
If the programme were to be approved, it would begin on August 25.
Under the scheme, when an adult patient from the West Berkshire area enters hospital suffering from an ailment that fits within set criteria, they may give their consent to be formally discharged and then enter into the programme. Patients are taken home, greeted by a nurse and a care plan is agreed that is individually suited to their condition.
The average length of ‘stay’ on the home care scheme is expected to be between three and four days for each patient, with a maximum of seven days home support, according to Mr Lightness. Following this seven-day period patients can then be discharged into other community services depending on their condition.
To be cost effective and draw demand down at hospitals, a total of 90 patients would need to sign up to the proposals across the county, it was revealed.
Concerns were raised at the meeting that the scheme might put pressure on patients to sign up and effectively kick them out of hospital beds. In response to this, Cathy Winfield of Berkshire West CCG said: “They have to formally consent”.
“I have to say that there are not many people who are desperate to be in hospital and most would rather be at home.
“It’s a partnership with patients.”
Adrian Barker, from consumer watchdog Healthwatch, said that although the principle of the project was “brilliant”, he was concerned that the quality of services provided to patients may also be affected in the drive to cut costs.
Dr Bal Bahia, who represents the Newbury and district clinical commission group said: “It won’t have an additional impact on services provided.”
“It’s based on clinical needs, if they fill the current criteria they will be supported from home.”
The current criteria includes pregnant women whose condition is unrelated to the pregnancy, some acute infections such as cellulitis, and flu.