A specialist team at the Royal United Hospital in Bath has been celebrated for supporting more than 5,000 patients to get home earlier and be cared for in the community.
The RUH’s Hospital at Home team | Photo © Jessie Myers / @soulmediauk / @jessiemyersphoto
Since starting in 2021, the Hospital at Home service has helped the people cared for across Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire, supporting them to have an earlier discharge from hospital and receive the care they need at home.
Patients are safely looked after in the comfort of their own home, and remain under the care of their RUH consultant, until they have safely completed their programme of treatment.
A home visit covers overall wellbeing, including diet, sleep quality, and daily activities as well as medical needs.
Being in a familiar environment can lead to faster and more effective recovery at home.
The success of the Hospital at Home team’s approach has meant fewer patients have to return to hospital. The service has also had impressive patient feedback, with 99.5% of patients saying they would recommend Hospital at Home.
One patient said: “This is an excellent initiative. The medical team were first class – kind helpful and efficient.”
Another said: “We received truly outstanding care from Hospital at Home. The well-informed team provided excellent care which was responsive, timely, thoughtful, kind and flexible.”
This month also saw a second celebration for the Hospital at Home team, which won the Working Together Award at the RUH’s annual You Matter Staff Awards, in recognition of the are and support provided by the team for patients.
Kerrie Hopson, Service Lead for RUH Hospital at Home, said: “The Hospital at Home team works tirelessly to ensure that those we care for receive the best possible care, extending this commitment to carers, family, and friends.
“Kindness and civility are fundamental to our approach, ensuring that every patient is seen as an individual and treated with compassion, respect, and consideration for what matters most to them during home visits.
“Being in a familiar environment can have a big impact on the people we care for; evidence shows patients recover better and quicker in their own home, and we are delighted to be able to play such a key role in our patients’ recoveries.”
