Home First - One year on

We're celebrating the successful Home First service, which in its first year has helped more than 2,000 patients return home sooner with the right support in place.

Home First was launched by the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (RUH) in June 2017. The service brings together experts from health, social and voluntary sectors and three Clinical Commissioning Groups to focus on patients who are well enough to leave hospital but might need extra support when they return home.

Kerrie Hopson, RUH Home First clinical lead, said: "Home First is a real team effort, a system-wide service requiring health, social care and charity colleagues to work together to help patients in hospital get home sooner. Together we can reduce the barriers and obstacles and help our patients regain their independence and return home. It's rewarding to know we're all working with the shared goal of seeing things from the patient's point of view."

Once a patient no longer needs medical, surgical or hospital care the teams work together to get patients home within 24 hours from being referred to the service. Healthcare professionals review the support a patient may need, make any arrangements and provide regular support to help them remain independent in their own home and recover faster in a place that is familiar to them. Since Home First was created 2,469 patients have been seen by the team.

Home First is a partnership of organisations that includes the RUH, Wiltshire Council, Wiltshire Health & Care, Medvivo, Virgin Care, Age UK Bath, Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Somerset County Council.

In May, the Home First Team was awarded the South of England NHS70 Parliamentary Award and has been put forward for the national award which will be announced on 4 July. The NHS70 Parliamentary Awards highlight innovative and high-quality care across every constituency in England, and thank staff for their dedication, hard work and commitment by recognising and honouring their achievements.

ENDS

Notes to Editor

• The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust provides acute treatment and care for a catchment population of around 500,000 people in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire. The hospital provides healthcare to the population served by four Clinical Commissioning Groups: Bath & North East Somerset CCG, Wiltshire CCG, Somerset CCG and South Gloucestershire CCG.
• The Trust has 759 beds and a comprehensive range of acute services including medicine and surgery, services for women and children, accident and emergency services, and diagnostic and clinical support services.
• In 2015 The Royal United Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was acquired the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases (RNHRD) NHS Foundation Trust. The RNHRD treats patients from across the country offering services in rheumatology, chronic pain, chronic fatigue syndrome/ME, cancer related fatigue and fatigue linked to other long term conditions such as multiple sclerosis.
• The RUH is changing - we have an exciting programme of redevelopment underway transforming our site and further improving the services we provide. The Trust is now working towards building a purpose built RNHRD and Therapies Centre and a new Dyson Cancer Centre. For more details visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk/fit4future
• For more information about the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust visit: www.ruh.nhs.uk

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