Up to eight voluntary organisations will share £2 million to provide additional help over the winter months, NHS England has announced.
Local projects will be run by groups including Age UK, British Red Cross and the Royal Voluntary Service to target those most at risk of admission to hospital, and those who need extra support when discharged.
Up to eight voluntary organisations will share £2 million to provide additional help over the winter months, NHS England has announced.
Local projects will be run by groups including Age UK, British Red Cross and the Royal Voluntary Service to target those most at risk of admission to hospital, and those who need extra support when discharged.
NHS England, Monitor and the Trust Development Authority are providing the funding for projects which use social action to help older people stay well, manage their conditions or recover from illness of injury.
The organisations hope that by testing a small number of volunteer-supported services this winter, the most successful interventions can be rolled out in the future.
The Nuffield Trust has been appointed as external assessors to evaluate the success and impact of the selected schemes.
Among the groups winning funding today is the Royal Voluntary Service in the East Midlands who will grow their ‘hospital to home’ service, that aim to help older people being discharged from hospital to recover and create social support networks so that they are less likely to be re-admitted.
Age UK and the British Red Cross working together in Leeds will run a hospital discharge support and A&E admission avoidance service. The scheme will operate seven days a week including holidays, with patients supported throughout their stay in hospital and at home.
David McCullough, Royal Voluntary Service chief executive, said: “We are delighted to receive this funding to expand our Home from Hospital scheme. We know that the right help on a return home from a hospital stay can make a huge difference to the health and wellbeing of older patients, and our research has found that support such as this can reduce readmissions by as much as 50%.
“Home from hospital schemes are a cost-effective and successful way of enabling older patients to fully recover and integrate back into their community, allowing them to enjoy the quality of life they deserve.”
Minister for Civil Society Brooks Newmark said: “Taken together, we believe that these projects will showcase the potential of social action to reduce hospital pressures and improve patient experience, and will be sustained into the long-term by local commissioners.”
The organisations confirmed to receive funding as part of the programme are:
– Westbank Community Health and Care, South West
– Royal Voluntary Service, East Midlands
– Age UK, South Lakeland
– Age UK, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
– Age UK, Oxfordshire
– British Red Cross Society, North Derbyshire
– Age UK and British Red Cross, Leeds
