With the high demand for hospital beds across the district, Bath and North East Somerset’s Community Wellbeing Hub is offering practical support to patients well enough to leave hospital and continue their recovery at home.
The Hub, which is a collaboration between Bath & North East Somerset Council, HCRG Care Group and third sector organisations, has secured £16k of funding to provide 400 Hospital Essential Leavers Packs (HELP).
The packs aim to help patients discharged from hospital to ease their transition back home, reduce readmission and prevent avoidable costs.
The packs will provide:
Three meals (breakfast, lunch and an evening meal) for three days together with snacks, drinks and essential toiletries.
A welfare telephone call within 24 hours of receiving this pack (only Monday to Friday), and a follow up call one week later, and a further call at 28 days from the Community Wellbeing Hub Team.
Onward referrals to other services and support – with welfare visits in certain circumstances.
Practical information for other support services.
The packs will be distributed to patients discharged from hospital or will be offered to patients to avoid hospital admission, between January and March. Jo Scammell, Head of Commissioning, HCRG Care Group said: “These HELP packs give people the practical support they need in the immediate days after returning home and access to ongoing support should they require it.” Councillor Alison Born, cabinet member for Adults said: “Our hospitals always come under enormous strain during the peak winter months, but over the next few weeks the pressure on beds is expected to be exceptional with a predicted increase in admissions due to Covid. “Often people are well enough to leave hospital and continue their recovery at home but are unable to do so because they don’t have support. The Community Wellbeing Hub can help fill this void.” The HELP packs will also be made available to any health professional making a referral, including GPs and community reablement teams to help prevent hospital admissions.
Set up at the start of the pandemic, the Hub continues to offer health and wellbeing services to residents and support for the most vulnerable.
It offers a range of services to support people to:
Keep active and healthy
Achieve a healthy weight
Access food, transport or medication
Improve mental health and wellbeing
Stop smoking
Access housing advice
Employment issues and advice
Residents can contact the team at the Hub on 0300 247 0050 Monday – Friday, 9am-5pm. For more information, please contact Lucy Hanney, Practitioner Health Improvement.
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