An NHS service, described by one Mancunian as “giving him his life back”, has been helping people to stay healthy at home and avoid having to visit hospitals.
Hospital at Home combines the skills of doctors, nurses and other specialist health professionals with the latest health technology to deliver care at home.
The service helps patients avoid A&E admissions and, for those already in hospital, can help them get back home earlier.
The NHS teams at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and Manchester Local Care Organisation have been steadily increasing the number of patients that can be cared for under the pioneering programme. Between April 2023 and March 2024, 3,849 people in Manchester and Trafford were helped by the service.
Patients can be supported in several ways such as taking services to their home where health professionals – including hospital consultants, advanced clinical practitioners, nurses, therapists and other staff – visit the patient to provide assessments and care. If a patient needs more complex diagnostic tests, like CT scans, as part of their care, they can be fast-tracked for an appointment and then return home without them needing to be admitted to hospital.
New Moston resident, Malcolm Evers, 87, started to receive care from Hospital at Home after being taken to North Manchester General Hospital by ambulance when he became very unwell with influenza and pneumonia.
Malcom said: “I don’t remember much of my time at the hospital as I was so ill. I remember being treated with a great amount of dignity and respect – the staff were great. But for someone my age it can be distressing and isolating being in hospital for a length of time.
The day before his birthday, Malcolm was discharged and his carer and friend, Janet McNamara, was put in touch with Hospital at Home.
Janet explained: “It was so important that we had access to a service like Hospital at Home. If Malcolm needed to go to the hospital we would really struggle as I still work and he would be more distressed when receiving care. Instead, the care is flexibly based around us as opposed to us basing ourselves around the availability of care. It’s not holding us up and we’re not holding any hospitals up.
“The Hospital at Home team have arranged for Malcolm to receive occupational therapy and specialist physiotherapy support from the Manchester Local Care Organisation team. They see us multiple times every week and have made adjustments to his home, like a coded key lock so the right people can access his home in an emergency, different walkers, adapted furniture, a wet room and more.
“We had no idea such a service existed, but it really has saved us. The speed and the level of involvement from the start has been incredible. From the perspective of a carer, it’s so helpful having professionals on hand like this to help with medication and any worries we have.
“It’s a more isolating experience for an older person to go to hospital but doing things this way makes it feel like Malcolm has a little community around him. The care at hospital was exceptional, but nothing can meet his needs like this can, it will be invaluable to future patients.”
Having health care work around him, means Malcolm has been able to carry on with his life as normal and enjoy the things he loves:
“The physio has helped me with my balance so I can walk much better now, I enjoy my garden and keeping koi carp and it really is a life saver still having the independence to enjoy these things. I love to play piano and when I’m playing well for Janet we know it’s a sign I’m getting better, we wouldn’t have these moments if not for Hospital at Home.”
Mark Cubbon, Group Chief Executive of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, praised the teams involved in delivering Hospital at Home:
“Hospital at Home is changing people’s lives, providing them with better access to care in the comfort of their own home.
“It helps people avoid admission to A&E and makes safe discharge back to the patient’s home easier. We are committed to deliver care closer to home, when it is possible to do so. We’re incredibly proud of its success so far and the lives it has changed.
“Hospital at Home is a collaboration between our hospital and community teams working closely with GPs and our primary care teams. Our teams across Manchester and Trafford have made it their mission to improve the care and experience for our patients, something we are, and will continue to, achieve.”