Hospital care at home helps local patients

Kris Hopkins, Minister for Communities and Local Government, visited Guy’s and St Thomas’ @home service at the Elmcourt Health Centre in West Norwood on Tuesday 3 March.

Lambeth and Southwark residents can get hospital care at home thanks to the @home service. The team provides expert medical support so that people can leave hospital sooner than usual, to continue their recovery at home, or avoid a hospital stay altogether.

Angela Dawe, Director for Operations and Strategic Development for Adult Local Services, says: “The @home service is open to anyone who is at risk of hospital admission and to those who have had treatment but need more care when they return home from hospital.

“Once people are referred to the service a senior nurse or GP visits the patient at home, which can be within two hours of referral if necessary, for an initial assessment and to discuss the care that will be offered.”

Cllr Jim Dickson, Lambeth Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, says: “I’m delighted that the Minister has visited the borough to see the potential benefits of this locally developed scheme.

“Spending time in hospital can be a difficult time for patients and their families and carers. We think this scheme offers a whole series of benefits by offering people a new, more advanced level of treatment in their own homes.

“If adopted more widely the @home service could also mean that patients don’t need to be admitted to hospital unnecessarily, making more hospital beds available to those who need them most.”

The @home service provides a range of care in the patient’s home for up to seven days including intravenous therapy such as antibiotics, palliative care, and intensive physical therapies like physiotherapy and occupational therapy.