Health Your
Ambitious Caring Together
News from Rotherham’s hospital and community health services
August - OctoberMarch 2019 Isssue 2 2026
Hospital at Home is a 24 hour a day service providing wrap-around care for patients in their own homes. It’s a step-up in care from GPs or community services to avoid admission and a step-down in care to enable earlier discharge from hospital.
Hospital at Home:Hospital level care wherever a patient calls home
First launched in December 2022, Hospital at Home now monitors almost 100 patients across respiratory, heart failure and frailty pathways. Supporting Hospital at Home are a range of healthcare professionals including nurses, support workers, ACPs, therapists and social prescribers.
Paula and Vicki say treating patients at home can have benefits for both patients and NHS sites and services. “It’s better for patients because it means a shorter stay in hospital or avoiding being admitted altogether.
Moving care from hospital to community is one of three ‘radical shifts’ set out in the 10 Year Health Plan for England set out last year. Hospital at Home is helping set the course towards this goal.
“Being cared for at home means they are being cared for where they are most comfortable. At home, they will eat and sleep better and keep their established care plans. They will be closer to support networks like their family and friends.
Paula and Vicki explained: “We’ve built up Hospital at Home layer by layer.
Nurse consultants Paula Berridge and Vicki Williams have led the service since its beginning under another name, Virtual Ward. “We renamed the service Hospital at Home because Virtual Ward suggested a remote, hands off service. “The name Hospital at Home better reflects what the service does. It’s hospital level care – including diagnostics, interventions and treatments – at home. Wherever the patient lives – it could be a house, a caravan, a care home – we come to them.”
“Care delivered at home means they can better maintain their independence and usual routines. That reduces the likelihood of patients deconditioning and the risk of them developing hospital acquired infections.
Inside this issue
“For the Trust, it will mean fewer attendances through our front door in A&E and less pressure on our inpatient beds. More widely in the NHS across the region, there will be better patient flow across the system and fewer ambulance callouts needed.”
One of a kind - Celebrating 103rd birthday page 3
your Healthcare Heroes page 4
Nominate y our
healthcare heroes Proud Awards - Nominate
“We started with 10 patients being supported by us; we now see almost 100. We’re treating far more complex patients now than when we started. Over the last three years, we’ve developed new pathways, governance, training and infrastructure to support and care for them. “Hospital based care isn’t a failure point: it’s an escalation point. In Hospital at Home, we’ve built the layers of care patients might need up to ensure that hospital-based care is at its most effective and most available for patients most in need.”
Chelsea Flower Show comes to BreathingSpace page 6
Being cared for at home means people are being cared for where they are most comfortable. At home, they will eat and sleep better and keep their established care plans. They will be closer to support networks like their family and friends.
Porter shortlisted for national award page 7
JANUARY 2019 ISSUE 1 Page 1
Nominate a te made a real am or individual w h