A service which supports patients with the same level of care in the home as they would get in hospital is being extended to the Clydesdale area.

The expansion of Hospital at Home is part of South Lanarkshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s ongoing efforts to respond to the demands associated with the Covid-19 pandemic and significant winter pressures.

Soumen Sengupta, Director of Health and Social Care for South Lanarkshire, explained that the development adds to a rich currency of well-established partnership, person-centred supports in the area.

“The challenges of the last two years have placed well-publicised pressures on all of our health and social care services,” said Mr Sengupta.

“The Clydesdale locality is unique in Lanarkshire in terms of its geographical size and rurality. Existing service provision has been tailored to that.

“This includes the work of our award-wining Integrated Community Support Team, which is focused on supporting discharge from hospital and prevention of avoidable admission to hospital.

“Extending Hospital at Home’s reach will enrich and complement this existing coverage of care. It’s another visible demonstration of our commitment to ensuring we can safely keep more people close to their loved ones and communities during illness.”

Hospital at Home is already well-established across many other areas of Lanarkshire. This multidisciplinary acute care service delivers specialist, coordinated and comprehensive assessment and care to frailer older adults in their own homes. Crucially, it offers immediate care to cases that have acute medical issues and would otherwise need hospital admission.

South Lanarkshire’s Integration Join Board recently heard details of the plans to extend the service to Clydesdale over an initial two-year period.

Mr Sengupta added: “Our staff work exceptionally hard – and challenge themselves – to do their best to ensure that people across South Lanarkshire receive the right care in the right place at the right time.

“This development will further strengthen their and our ability to deliver transformed care as we move through 2022 and beyond.”

The Hospital at Home Service is hosted by Health and Social Care North Lanarkshire.

Ross McGuffie, Chief Officer, said: “Research shows most older people would prefer to remain in their own homes, with support, if they are unable to look after themselves.

“Since its inception just over 10 years ago, Hospital at Home has continually demonstrated delivery of that very outcome – often in very complex cases that would have otherwise been a straight admission to hospital.”

Mr McGuffie added: “The team’s success has been built on various disciplines working together. We look forward to working closely with our colleagues and partners in Clydesdale – and adding to the skill mix and exemplary, existing culture of person-centred care.”

• The Hospital at Home team are due to be active in Clydesdale in the Spring/Summer of 2022. Service delivery within the Clydesdale locality will be led by Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP) supported by existing consultants based in other localities. The team will work alongside existing local teams such as the Integrated Community Support Team and staff based at Kello and Lady Home cottage hospitals.
• Members of South Lanarkshire’s Integration Joint Board (IJB) recently heard about action being taken to significantly extend the coverage of the Home First approach across local communities. Home First ensures that people can be cared for at home (or as close to home as possible), prevents avoidable admissions to hospital and, where hospital admission is necessary, supports timely discharge. See: https://www.slhscp.org.uk/news/article/201/home_first_approach_sets_down_strong_foundations_for_tomorrow_s_health_and_care_delivery_%E2%80%93_today

News update June 7 2022: Work to extend the Hospital at Home service into Clydesdale is being progressed and it is anticipated the service will be in place by the end of the year. Staff have been working hard to introduce the service in Clydesdale, however this work has been impacted by staffing pressures and challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic.