More people needed for new service which helps people leave hospital sooner

Wiltshire Support At Home provides short to mid-term care to people needing additional support when they leave hospital - it also works with NHS Rapid Response to help prevent unnecessary admissions.

The service is a valuable bridge to independence and crucially helps free up hospital beds which is increasingly important as hospitals experience renewed pressures this winter.

WSAH staff help people with personal care, food preparation, daily living activities and access to local resources and facilities as they start to take the steps towards becoming independent again. The service is jointly funded with the B&NES, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group (BSW CCG). They will be part of a training and mentoring programme with flexible hours and career progression opportunities.

Since its creation this autumn a number of staff have been signed up but more are needed to help people needing to stay in hospital when they can recover with support at home.

Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care said: "People are grateful for hospital treatment, of course, but once you're starting to feel better you really want to move on, get home and back to everyday life. Wiltshire Support at Home means you can go home knowing you won't be left on your own as there will be support available to help you adjust as you get back to your routines. As our hospitals face increasing pressures for beds this service is going to be needed even more.  So, we are putting a call out for people to consider joining our team and helping make a real positive impact in someone's life."

WSAH has already been piloted in a number of areas in Wiltshire with good results. People who have benefitted from the care have remarked on how it has helped them to get back to normal routines after their hospital stay.
WSAH assists services already provided by health partners and Wiltshire Council Adult Social Care that ensure people can remain in their own homes rather than be admitted to hospital and also provide support for people on discharge.

Gill May, Director of Nursing and Quality at BSW CCG, said: "While it is absolutely right that people who are acutely unwell should be cared for on a ward, spending more time than necessary in hospital, especially when a doctor has said the patient is well enough to go home, can ultimately have a negative effect on recovery.

"Prolonged hospital stays can lead to preventable health issues, such as muscle loss and pressure sores, which is why this new initiative that will support people to continue their recovery at home is so important."

WSAH will work alongside the Wiltshire Council Reablement service which also provides support in people's homes with specially trained social care staff, including occupational therapists and reablement support workers. The service is available to adults who normally live independently at home, but who might have lost physical ability or confidence in carrying out their day to day living tasks.

People wanting to find out more about the roles available in the new service can have a look at the role description (opens new window) or contact recruitment@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window).

You can listen to Cllr Davies talking about the new service on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_MTgW-HexI (opens new window).

You can also watch a video about the service on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEEH91DhXmA (opens new window).