Dr Elizabeth Kendrick, medical director at Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, talks about how the Hospital at Home service is benefitting patients.
I think many will agree there’s a lot to be said for being with loved ones, eating your own food and sleeping in your own bed.
Hertfordshire’s Hospital at Home service can mean just that – while still getting the care you need.
While it won’t be suitable for everyone, we’ve been developing the service since its beginnings in March 2020 so that more NHS patients in the county can receive hospital-equivalent care in the comfort of their own home.
This could mean you avoid a trip to hospital because your GP or an ambulance paramedic has referred you to Hospital at Home, or that you can get home sooner as a result.
Our Hospital at Home team – made up of NHS doctors (including GPs), nurses, therapists and pharmacists – can provide face-to-face nursing care and therapy, as well as remote monitoring services for a range of conditions.
The kit to monitor things like your oxygen levels, blood pressure and temperature is all provided, as well as a mobile phone or tablet with its own internet connection so we can keep in touch and monitor your progress.
I appreciate using technology like this can be daunting for some, but we are working closely with the remote monitoring company providing the equipment to make it is as straight forward to use as possible – and ensure you have the support you need.
When patients talk to me about the benefits of Hospital at Home, they often say it’s helped them maintain their independence and that they feel they’ve recovered more quickly at home. As a doctor, that is music to my ears – and what this is all about.
The added benefit for the NHS of course is that Hospital at Home also reduces the pressure on acute hospital services. So, even if you haven’t used the service yourself, it could mean you get the hospital care you need sooner.
It is a great example of how our local NHS is working together for the benefit of our patients – and hopefully everyone can get a better night’s sleep as a result.
