Media Release
Date: 15 February 2022
RUH supports new grant scheme to help get patients home
The Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust is supporting a new scheme being trialled across the local area which will see eligible patients receive small grants for care packages to help get them home as soon as they are well enough to leave hospital.
The Hospital Discharge Personal Health Budget Grant (HD Grant) is for those patients who are medically fit to leave hospital, but who need a little extra care and support once they get home.
This extra support could be additional help with getting washed and dressed, or someone to help with cooking and shopping. It could be provided by a family member or another individual.
The one-off HD Grant will be made to cover a maximum of period of four weeks and be based on that individual's personalised care and support plan. Patients will need to meet specific criteria to receive the grant.
RUH Chief Operating Officer Simon Sethi said: "Nobody wants to stay in hospital longer than necessary, so these grants will play a really important role in helping to get patients back home as soon as they are well enough to leave us.
"The RUH, like all hospitals, has patients who are well enough to be discharged, but who just need a bit of extra support once they get home. This grant will help to provide that support as well as freeing-up beds for those who need acute medical care."
The project is being led by the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group. The grants will be available to patients at the RUH, Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust.
You can find out more about the project here:
Discharge Grant Scheme (bswccg.nhs.uk)
ENDS