The BGS has produced a report on Hospital at Home services for older people. This explains how they are currently provided and how they might develop in the future as a key part of community-based healthcare. The report is endorsed by the UK Hospital at Home Society.
Hospital at Home is a safe and effective alternative to acute hospital bedded care for people who are sick enough to be in hospital.
Hospital-level care provided at home means people living with frailty are not exposed to some of the risks arising from long stays in hospital, such as infections and deconditioning.
There is mounting evidence for the effectiveness of Hospital at Home services, which are greatly valued by those who use them. With 35,000 people a year benefiting from this alternative to hospital in England, further development of Hospital at Home should be encouraged as a key part of the Government’s ‘left shift’ from hospital to community.
Professor Jugdeep Dhesi, President of the BGS, said:
Older people living with multiple long-term conditions or frailty now have an alternative to hospital admission when they need emergency or urgent care. Hospital at Home enables people to remain at home while receiving the diagnosis and treatment they need, protecting them from the risks which may arise during prolonged hospital stays. Evaluations show this service delivers good health outcomes, is valued by patients and their families, and leads to lower readmission rates. We encourage NHS leaders to continue to commission these valuable services."
Dr Claire Steel, Clinical Lead Hospital at Home NHS Lanarkshire, UK Hospital at Home Society President, and Consultant Geriatrician said:
I have worked in Hospital at Home for the last 10 years and have seen the benefits and impact it has had for my patients.
Hospital at Home is no longer a fringe innovation: it is a vital component of modern healthcare delivery. Over the next ten years, we need to ensure that acute care at home is embedded across the UK. We want to ensure everyone can get access to this service when they need it and that they receive safe, effective, patient-centred care.
Such services must be supported by robust clinical governance, digital infrastructure, workforce development and national policies.
The UK Hospital at Home Society is proud to collaborate with the British Geriatrics Society on this important work, ensuring that older people can access hospital-level care in their own homes."