Let’s get your loved ones home from hospital in time for Easter

Staff across the NHS, community, council, and care teams are working together to help get people home from hospital in time for Easter by promoting the different support and services available:

• Being supported through a virtual ward with hospital support provided, instead of an in-patient stay. Our virtual wards now have increased capacity and can provide patients with NHS hospital care in the comfort of their own home. There were over 500 new admissions during the first 2 months of 2024, saving over 5,000 acute hospital bed days. GPs and clinicians can refer patients to a virtual ward and patients and families can also request admission too.
• Financial support to help. Across our hospitals, if financial support is needed to help get a loved one home from hospital, we can provide discharge one-off payments to pay for additional care, home adaptations or cleaning or decluttering to enable someone to safely remain at home. Ask staff on the ward about one-off personal health budgets.
• Getting community support. Our Community Gateway helpline can also advise on what support is available to support someone leaving hospital including personalised care plans which set out the help needed and available. Call between 8am-8pm, seven day a week, 365 day a year 01872 266383.

Online information promoting the advice and support are being promoted ahead of Easter.

Susan Bracefield, Chief Nursing Officer for NHS ICB Cornwall and Isles of Scilly said:

“We know people recover better and more quickly at home, which is why we are supporting individuals and families to get their loved ones home from hospital through a variety of initiatives including increasing the number of people who can receive NHS hospital care at home through our virtual wards to providing one off payments to cover costs for additional care, home adaptations or cleaning or decluttering to enable someone to safely remain at home.

“Supporting people back home after being in hospital also enables us to have space to care for people needing emergency care when they need it the most.”

Find more information about being discharged from hospital here: https://cios.icb.nhs.uk/when-am-i-going-home-information-about-being-discharged-from-hospital/