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Resource Type: Case study

Maximising efficiency and capacity at an NHS Trust

During winter last year, a 1,500-bed acute Trust faced significant challenges with capacity. Historically, the Trust invested in additional intermediate care beds to improve patient flow during peak periods, but demand still often exceeded capacity, leading to delays in discharge and reduced efficiency.

To address these challenges, the Trust aimed to streamline the transition of patients from hospital wards to the Adult Social Care Short-Term Intervention Team to reduce the need for additional beds and expedite patient discharge. The goal was to optimise existing resources and maximise efficiency without increasing overall costs.

To identify a potential solution, HomeLink Healthcare carried out a comprehensive feasibility assessment at the hospital, meeting with Trust and community teams to understand their perspectives on patient flow and capacity. This insight helped us focus on the specific interventions that would have the most positive impact on services.

Building on the findings of the feasibility study, HomeLink and the Trust worked closely together to co-design and implement a bespoke bridging service between the hospital and the Adult Social Care team to improve patient flow and facilitate timely discharge. By reallocating the Trust’s existing funds more effectively, we helped the Trust achieve increased productivity and efficiency without requiring additional budgets for extra beds.

Mobilisation of the new service took just 12 weeks, led by a dedicated HomeLink project manager overseeing key workstreams, including clinical governance and IT integration. The service operates seven days a week with patient visits supported by HomeLink’s  24/7 on-call clinical team. Within weeks, the partnership achieved the target of 150 visits per week and expanded to include an additional hospital, adapting seamlessly to the Trust’s evolving needs.

Impact

  • Improved patient flow and capacity: Within the first six months, the service has enabled 129 patients to spend an average of 10 days fewer in hospital, releasing 1,042 bed days. On the busiest days, we freed up to 11 beds daily, providing critical operational relief.
  • Cost-effectiveness: By reallocating existing budgets, the Trust avoided additional expenditure on extra beds. Every pound invested in HomeLink’s service delivered better value, improving efficiency and reducing pressure on acute beds.
  • Better patient outcomes: Patients reported, on average, a 16% overall improvement in health outcomes (measured through EQ-5D-5L) between their first home visit and discharge. This included an 8% improvement in mobility and self-care, a 12% increase in their ability to perform usual activities, and reductions of 15% in pain and discomfort and 5% in anxiety and depression, leading to greater independence and reduced long-term reliance on healthcare services.
  • High patient satisfaction: 99% of our patients said they would highly recommend us to their friends and family, and 99% said they would be happy to be treated by HomeLink at home again.

What our patients say

“This service is brilliant. Without it I would have been in hospital for weeks blocking a much needed bed and unable to do anything. All of the staff who came to provide treatment were very professional, efficient, respectful and interacted with my wife and I exactly at the right level. Thank you.” – Patient feedback 

“I want to thank you all for the care and support you have given me these last few weeks. Nothing has been too much trouble. Your devotion to your jobs were there to see in all of you. With my eternal gratitude. Bless you all.” – Patient feedback

Work with us 

Find out more about the process of commissioning HomeLink Healthcare to set up a hospital at home service.

Get in touch

To discuss how HomeLink Healthcare could help your organisation or to request a free feasibility assessment, call us on (020) 3137 5370 or contact us.

Supporting Safe Discharge and Continuity of Care at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust

Background

As part of its commitment to improving patient flow and ensuring safe discharge from hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust partnered with HomeLink Healthcare to address challenges in managing patients requiring complex wound therapies outside the hospital setting.

The collaboration began at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, where surgical teams were experiencing delays in discharging patients following vascular procedures. Many patients required Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT) for wound management after surgery, which created logistical and operational barriers to discharge. Variations in community services across London boroughs meant that consistent support was not always available.

The Challenge

The vascular surgery team faced a recurring issue: patients requiring NPWT were often unable to leave the hospital because of limited availability of pumps. In several cases, pumps provided to community services were not consistently returned to the Trust, creating shortages on the wards.

As a result:

  • Patients medically ready for discharge remained in hospital beds.
  • Delays impacted patient flow and surgical capacity.
  • Patients living alone faced additional challenges managing wound therapy at home.

The HomeLink Healthcare Solution

HomeLink Healthcare was initially commissioned to provide a bridging service for patients requiring NPWT after discharge.

Under the initial contract:

  • Pumps were provided under a contracted arrangement with HomeLink Healthcare, ensuring continuity of NPWT after patient discharge.
  • Clinical support was provided by HomeLink Healthcare in the community, allowing treatment to continue safely at home.
  • Assisted patients living alone who required additional support to manage therapy.

This approach allowed the team to trial the service over an initial six-month period.

When required, some patients were transported home by electric taxi with a HomeLink nurse accompanying them to facilitate safe discharge.

The early success of the programme led to the development of a formal business case to reinstate and expand the service.

Service Expansion

Following the positive outcomes from the vascular surgery pathway, the partnership evolved.

HomeLink Healthcare’s services expanded into additional clinical areas, including Orthopaedic services, supporting post-operative patients and therapy pathways and Medical support, particularly through support for Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT), enabling patients to receive IV antibiotic therapy at home.

In addition, HomeLink Healthcare delivered a comprehensive physiotherapy provision to ensure patients remained safe and supported at home following discharge from hospital. This included both same-day therapy assessments for patients requiring immediate input, as well as short-term rehabilitation support for those facing delays in accessing community services. In many cases, where waits for community therapy teams exceeded two weeks, HomeLink’s therapists provided a vital bridging service, helping patients regain mobility, maintain independence, and reduce the risk of deterioration or readmission while awaiting longer-term care.

This expansion helped address another key challenge faced by the Trust: inconsistent community services across different London boroughs. Not all boroughs provided the same level of district nursing support, which could complicate discharge planning. HomeLink’s flexible service model helped bridge these gaps.

Impact

The collaboration between HomeLink Healthcare and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust delivered several benefits:

– Reduced discharge delays for patients requiring VAC therapy.

– Improved access to wound care equipment, preventing pump shortages within the hospital.

– Safer transitions from hospital to home, particularly for patients living alone.

– Reduced risk of re-admission through continued clinical oversight, with a low re-admission rate of just 2%.

– Expanded home-based treatment options, including IV antibiotic therapy through OPAT.

– Greater consistency of care across boroughs, helping to overcome variations in local community services.

– Seamless transition of patient care, through close collaboration with community services across 11 London boroughs and Hertfordshire.

Patient Outcomes

Over 1,500 patients were supported by this initiative, reducing their length of stay in hospital by an average of 8 days.

Using EQ-5D-5L, results show that patients are experiencing, on average, a 31% improvement in their self-reported health outcomes (VAS). Specific areas of improvement include

  • 23% improvement in mobility,
  • 24% improvement in self-care,
  • 6% improvement in usual activities,
  • 14% improvement in pain and discomfort, and
  • 12% reduction in anxiety and depression.

99% patients who received this service said they would recommend it to friends and family.

“Having treatment at home gave me the freedom and joy of being with family. I hope to have HomeLink every time if needed in the future. Thank you to all Nurses and Physios!” – Patient feedback

Conclusion

The partnership demonstrated how a flexible community healthcare provider can support acute hospitals in improving patient flow while maintaining high standards of care.

By bridging the gap between hospital and community services, HomeLink Healthcare enabled more patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust to continue treatment safely at home, freeing hospital capacity and enhancing patient experience.

Treating Patients Where They Feel Most Comfortable: How HomeLink Healthcare Supports the Diabetic Foot Clinic at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Diabetic foot complications are among the most serious and challenging conditions faced by people living with diabetes. Foot ulcers, infections, and delayed wound healing can quickly escalate, often resulting in lengthy hospital stays or even amputations if not managed promptly and effectively. At Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, the specialist diabetic foot clinic plays a vital role in helping patients access rapid, multidisciplinary care designed to prevent complications and improve outcomes.

By extending hospital-level support beyond the ward and into the community with our Hospital at Home services, HomeLink Healthcare is helping to reduce unnecessary admissions, shorten inpatient stays, and improve the patient experience.

Supporting the Diabetic Foot Pathway

The Multi-Disciplinary Diabetic Foot Team at Kettering General Hospital (KGH) brings together Podiatrists, Diabetes Consultants, Vascular Specialists, Pharmacists, and Nursing staff to care for patients with high-risk diabetic foot conditions such as ulceration and infection.

Traditionally, many of these patients would require prolonged hospital stays, and reduces outpatient visits for IV antibiotics, wound care, monitoring, and rehabilitation. However, advances in Hospital at Home services now mean that many clinically stable patients can continue receiving treatment at home, in familiar surroundings, instead.

This is where HomeLink Healthcare adds significant value. Our teams of nurses, therapists, and support staff provide a range of interventions directly in patients’ homes, including:

  • IV antibiotic therapy
  • Complex wound care
  • Clinical monitoring and assessments
  • Rehabilitation and physiotherapy
  • Personal care and reablement support
  • Phlebotomy and ongoing observations

Dr Michael Pierides, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Kettering General Hospital commented:

“Having worked in several hospitals throughout my career and with IV antibiotics in both community and intermediate care services, I can say hand on heart that the service provided by the KGH at Home team is by far the best.

They consistently deliver a high standard of care, always striving for excellence and holding themselves accountable. The team is highly professional — punctual, reliable, and supported by robust processes and pathways that remain open to feedback to continuously improve quality and efficiency.

KGH at Home are exceptional team players and constructive collaborators, creating a truly positive experience for patients. The feedback I see is overwhelmingly positive, and it’s easy to understand why: the staff are kind, caring, and compassionate, and they take a genuinely holistic approach to patient care.

In every sense, this is a service that sets the benchmark for community-based IV therapy and intermediate care.”

Reducing Pressure on Hospital Beds

Hospital capacity remains a major challenge across the NHS, particularly for acute and specialist services. By supporting early discharge and admission avoidance, we help free up beds for patients who require inpatient treatment most urgently.

Our recent case study describing our partnership with Kettering General Hospital highlighted measurable benefits, including patients spending an average of 15 fewer days in hospital and improvements in patient outcomes and service productivity.

Delivering Patient-Centred Care

HomeLink Healthcare’s model aligns closely with the NHS shift toward more community-based, personalised healthcare. Our Hospital at Home services are designed not only to improve operational efficiency but also to enhance patient choice and comfort.

For patients attending the diabetic foot clinic at Kettering General Hospital, this means care is no longer confined to hospital walls. Instead, treatment can continue in a setting where patients often feel more relaxed, supported, and independent.

For diabetic foot patients, this approach can be especially beneficial. Long inpatient stays can impact mobility, independence, and mental wellbeing. Receiving treatment at home often enables patients to maintain more normal daily routines while still accessing specialist clinical care.

The partnership also improves continuity of care. Communication between hospital specialists and HomeLink’s community teams helps ensure that patients receive coordinated treatment plans and ongoing monitoring throughout recovery.

A Modern Approach to Diabetes Care

As diabetes rates continue to rise across the UK, services like the diabetic foot clinic at Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust are under increasing demand. Innovative partnerships with organisations such as HomeLink Healthcare demonstrate how healthcare providers can work together to deliver safe, effective, and compassionate care outside traditional hospital settings.

By treating suitable patients at home, the partnership helps reduce pressure on acute services while giving people living with diabetic foot complications access to high-quality care in the place they know best — their home.

If you think your organisation would benefit from a partnership like this please call us on (020) 3137 5370 or fill in the form below.

Improving Oncology Pathways Through At-Home Blood Testing at The London Clinic

The partnership between The London Clinic and HomeLink Healthcare has delivered meaningful improvements to the oncology patient journey, particularly in reducing waiting times, increasing operational efficiency, and enhancing clinical flexibility. By introducing a ‘pre chemotherapy bloods at home’ service, The London Clinic has been able to transform a traditionally time-intensive pathway into a more streamlined, patient-centred experience.

Reduction in Patient Waiting Times and Fewer Journeys for Patients

With the introduction of HomeLink Healthcare’s at-home blood collection service, the waiting time for treatment has been reduced by an average of 83% for patients who have their bloods taken in advance.

This substantial improvement that not only enhances patient satisfaction but also reduces the physical and emotional burden associated with long hospital visits—particularly important for oncology patients undergoing intensive treatment.

Efficiency Gains for The London Clinic as well as for Patients

The benefits extend beyond those directly using the at-home service. By shifting a proportion of taking bloods into the community, HomeLink Healthcare has alleviated pressure on The London Clinic’s in-house phlebotomy services.

As a result, patients who continue to have their bloods taken at the clinic have also experienced up to 40% shorter waiting times from appointment to treatment. This demonstrates how redistributing workload can create system-wide efficiencies, improving the experience for all patients, not just those using the new service.

Supporting Chemotherapy Preparation

An often-overlooked benefit is the additional time this model provides to pharmacy teams. With blood results available earlier, pharmacists have more time to prepare chemotherapy medications. This reduces time pressure, supports accuracy, and enhances overall treatment safety.

Increased Flexibility and Clinical Safety

HomeLink Healthcare’s service offers a standard 48-hour turnaround for blood testing, with the flexibility to adjust to 24-hour or 72-hour windows depending on clinical need. This adaptability provides several key advantages:

  • Early identification of abnormal (deranged) blood results, allowing clinicians more time to assess and respond appropriately.
  • Opportunities for repeat testing, particularly in cases where initial samples are inconclusive or unsuccessful (e.g., difficult venous access).
  • Improved contingency planning, ensuring that patients are not delayed on the day of treatment due to avoidable issues.

A More Patient-Centred Model of Care

The collaboration between The London Clinic and HomeLink Healthcare represents a shift toward a more proactive and patient-centric model. By moving essential but routine elements of care—such as blood testing—into the home, which has improved patient flow, and created a more responsive and resilient oncology service.

Matthew Clark, Head of Operations: Cancer Care at The London Clinic commented: “The introduction of at-home blood collection through HomeLink Healthcare has delivered measurable and meaningful benefits for The London Clinic. With significant reductions in waiting times, improved operational efficiency, and enhanced clinical flexibility, this partnership demonstrates how innovative service models can elevate both patient experience and healthcare delivery.”

If you think your organisation would benefit from a partnership like this please call us on (020) 3137 5370 or fill in the form below.

Enhancing Hospital at Home services at Kettering General Hospital

Background

Kettering General Hospital (KGH) provides acute healthcare services to the population of North Northamptonshire and South Leicestershire. With approximately 600 beds, KGH is one of the largest hospitals in the region, treating  around 150,000 patients annually across inpatient and outpatient services.

The hospital has a strong track record in meeting national standards for care and patient safety, consistently performing well in areas like emergency department wait times and elective procedures.

Hospital at Home services at KGH

KGH first introduced its Hospital at Home service in 2018, launching a successful pilot programme that provided acute-level care for patients in the comfort of their own homes. Delivered by an independent provider, this service enabled patients to leave the hospital earlier while still receiving clinical support tailored to their needs. By offering an alternative to extended inpatient stays, the service helped reduce the strain on hospital resources.

In mid-2023, recognising the importance of this service and its potential for expansion, KGH issued a tender to find a provider to continue delivering the ‘KGH at Home’ service for an initial three-year contract. HomeLink Healthcare entered the bidding process through the NHS SBS Patient Discharge Services Framework Agreement and was announced as the preferred provider in February 2024, with mobilisation beginning in March and the new service going live at the beginning of June 2024.

Service mobilisation and delivery

A key priority during service transition was to maintain service delivery, whilst safely transferring patients and staff from on eservice to another. HomeLink worked closely with hospital and community teams to make the transfer of personnel as smooth and uneventful as possible, ensuring continuity of care for patients and that the relationships staff had established with the hospital were maintained.

To support the transition, HomeLink implemented a comprehensive onboarding process, which included staff training on new systems and equipment, shadow visits, and orientation to updated processes. Some of HomeLink’s most experienced community-based staff members worked alongside the existing team, providing hands-on support during shadow visits to help them adapt to new workflows. This approach ensured that there was no disruption to patient care during the handover. 100% patients already receiving care continued to do so without any break in service, and the high standard of care was consistently maintained.

To facilitate the planned expansion of the service, HomeLink’s dedicated mobilisation team bolstered staffing levels during the transition to ensure readiness for increased demand, particularly during the winter months.

Scaling the service to meet growing demand

KGH identified the need to increase capacity to meet rising demand. HomeLink responded by increasing the capacity of the service from 15 to 20 patients, with some days exceeding 25. This not only increased capacity and also created operational headroom within the hospital, allowing for more efficient use of inpatient beds, reduced delays, and improved patient flow.

Reintroducing the service to KGH staff

Although the KGH at Home service was well-established, HomeLink recognised the importance of re-engaging hospital staff to highlight its benefits and expand referral opportunities. Raising  awareness of the service’s potential across different clinical specialties has enabled the service to evolve and has identified new patient cohorts who could benefit from home-based care.

Delivering greater value and supporting hospital productivity

Since taking over the service, HomeLink’s focus has been on maintaining the strengths of the original service while improving its efficiency , productivity and value. We’ve worked closely with KGH to ensure that the service continues to deliver cost savings and help meet productivity targets, particularly around elective procedures.

The service now offers a wide range of home-based clinical care pathways, including general nursing, wound care, brace and collar care, IV therapy, personal care (bridging packages of care), physiotherapy, and stoma care.

Impact

Since HomeLink Healthcare took over the service key improvements have been made to enhance patient outcomes and hospital productivity.

“The KGH at Home team consistently provides high‑quality, patient‑centred care, ensuring people receive safe and effective treatment in the comfort of their own homes. Their communication is excellent, offering clear and timely updates across services whenever needed. The team demonstrates strong clinical oversight, responsiveness, and continued flexibility in the support they provide. Their ongoing commitment plays an important role in maintaining patient flow and enhancing the overall patient experience. Their professionalism and compassionate approach make KGH at Home an invaluable part of our care system.”

– Joyce Cousins, Associate Director of Operations, University Hospitals of Northamptonshire

Referral responses

Time taken to accept or decline referral is on average one hour and referral to assessment completion is an average on 20 hours.

Patient outcome measurements

A new feature introduced by HomeLink was the measurement of patient outcomes while on the KGH at Home service. Using EQ-5D-5L, early results indicate that patients are experiencing, on average, a 27% improvement in their self-reported clinical outcomes. Specific areas of improvement include:

  • 31% improvement in mobility,
  • 30% improvement in self-care,
  • 16% improvement in usual activities,
  • 18% improvement in pain and discomfort, and
  • 21% reduction in anxiety and depression.

On average, patients receiving care through the Hospital at Home service are spending 15 fewer days in the hospital, helping to free up beds and improve overall hospital productivity.

HomeLink Healthcare’s seamless takeover of the Hospital at Home service at KGH not only preserved the high standards of care but also introduced significant improvements that deliver better value. With no disruption to patient services, we’ve ensured that the hospital can meet growing demands, particularly during critical winter months. Our focus on enhancing capacity, efficiency, and staff engagement continues to support KGH’s broader goals of improving patient flow and reducing waiting times, ensuring a more sustainable and responsive healthcare service.

Below are some thoughts about the service from Dr Michael Pierides, Consultant Physician and Endocrinologist, Kettering General Hospital.

“Having worked in several hospitals throughout my career and with IV antibiotics in both community and intermediate care services, I can say hand on heart that the service provided by the KGH at Home team is by far the best.

They consistently deliver a high standard of care, always striving for excellence and holding themselves accountable. The team is highly professional — punctual, reliable, and supported by robust processes and pathways that remain open to feedback to continuously improve quality and efficiency.

KGH at Home are exceptional team players and constructive collaborators, creating a truly positive experience for patients. The feedback I see is overwhelmingly positive, and it’s easy to understand why: the staff are kind, caring, and compassionate, and they take a genuinely holistic approach to patient care.

In every sense, this is a service that sets the benchmark for community-based IV therapy and intermediate care.”

An NHS Partnership Adapting to Surge Pressures

The long-standing partnership between HomeLink Healthcare and The James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has evolved into a model of collaborative working that not only supports patient-centred care but also helps the Trust to manage capacity pressures efficiently and responsively. 

Officially launched through an NHS SBS framework contract that enabled rapid mobilisation of services, the Paget at Home programme has expanded over time into an integrated Hospital-at-Home model covering virtual wards including IV therapy at home and more.  

Flexible and Responsive Care

One of the partnership’s standout strengths has been responsiveness to surge demand. When pressures increased, HomeLink didn’t just maintain contracted delivery — the service rapidly adapted to increase capacity in response to the increased demand, helping the Trust to preserve flow and maintain safe patient transitions into home care. By shifting resources and adapting capacity in real time, the programme has supported James Paget through periods when demand peaked. 

HomeLink increased patient visits by 10% in the December/January period. 

Over-Capacity Delivery: A Positive Trend 

HomeLink Healthcare has delivered above the required capacity, when required, meeting and exceeding contract expectations month after month. While individual monthly figures can vary with demand, the service has continued to operate at levels above contracted minimums for an extended period, ensuring that patients receive timely visits and support without fail. 

Moreover, during high-demand periods, the team has shown flexibility — both scaling up to over-performance and tempering activity when appropriate to maintain quality, safety and operational balance across pathways. This ability to “flex” is a hallmark of the partnership and underpins its success. 

Contractual Delivery: Perspective from Both Sides 

From a contractual standpoint, HomeLink Healthcare has met and often exceeded the minimum delivery requirements outlined in the agreement with the Trust. This means that the contractual baseline — designed to ensure essential capacity and support — has not only been met but significantly supported by additional delivery where possible. 

Impact to Date 

Since the partnership began, the Paget at Home service has helped release over 34,000 hospital bed days, effectively creating the capacity equivalent to an additional ward and contributing to improved patient flow and outcomes. Patients report high satisfaction and better clinical outcomes as care transitions safely into the home environment.  

Looking Ahead 

The partnership between HomeLink Healthcare and The James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust illustrates not just a contractual relationship, but a strategic collaboration rooted in shared goals: enhancing patient experience, improving flow, and intelligently managing capacity across fluctuating demand cycles. 

As health systems continue to face pressure — particularly during winter surges — the lessons from this long-term partnership offer a model for how proactive planning, flexible resource management, and strong operational leadership can translate into real benefits for both providers and patients alike. 

Partnership enabled by NHS SBS framework saves 23,000 bed days in one NHS Trust

Thanks to a partnership with HomeLink Healthcare, The James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has freed up over 23,000 bed days since the two organisations started working together using an NHS SBS framework to easily and quickly complete the procurement process.

The service, known as Paget at Home, creates up to an additional ward of capacity every day by providing treatment and care at home to patients who would otherwise have remained in hospital. The operational headroom created contributes to productivity benefits, while the bed days are costing less than half the equivalent in-hospital care.

Paget at Home started as an Early Supported Discharge service, which included clinical care at home and Bridging Packages of Care. It has developed over four years to cover a range of pathways, including supporting the Virtual Ward, IV Therapy, Discharge to Assess and Reablement.

The role of the NHS SBS Framework

The NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) framework played a crucial role in facilitating this partnership. The framework is designed to support NHS Trusts by providing a compliant and efficient procurement route for various services. In this case, the framework helped streamline the procurement process, ensuring that HomeLink Healthcare could quickly and effectively partner with the James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The NHS SBS Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services Framework reduces the time to contract compared to a full tender, saving time and resources. This framework allowed HomeLink Healthcare to fully mobilise the service through a ‘test and learn’ phase to full ramp up in under 12 weeks.

By using the framework, NHS Trusts can more easily access flexible, home-based care options like Paget at Home, which increases hospital capacity and improves patient flow.

How does the service work?

An on-site team pro-actively identify patients who are medically optimised or no longer meet the criteria to reside and enable same-day transfer home. Home based wrap-around care is provided by a HomeLink Healthcare multidisciplinary team. The on-site team manage the ongoing care, co-ordinating with consultants, referrers and community providers, minimising the impact on hospital staff. The service is supported by a 24/7 on-call service.

For each new pathway, HomeLink Healthcare carry out a feasibility assessment using hospital data. Clinical governance is co-produced, and pathways are rapidly prototyped, evaluated and rolled out, using technology as an enabler where appropriate. A comprehensive suite of KPIs is implemented, and real-time data allows the team to identify best practice quickly and apply corrective actions as necessary.

The benefits of the service, facilitated through the NHS SBS Framework

Increased capacity and improved patient flow: Over the last four years, Paget at Home has supported over 1,200 patients and released over 23,000 bed days, saving an average of 20 bed days every day. This is the equivalent of almost a whole hospital ward. With a capacity of around 500 in-patient beds, these 20 ‘at home beds’ effectively increase hospital capacity by four percent.

Enhanced patient outcomes: Patients reported, on average, a 22% improvement in clinical outcomes (EQ-5D-5L) by the end of their treatment. 99% also said they would recommend HomeLink/Paget at Home to friends and family. By supporting patients across a largely rural area, our service also helps address inequalities in access to care.

Cost-savings: When occupancy levels are optimised, the cost of Hospital at Home services are significantly lower than the equivalent in-patient care. Improved patient outcomes mean smaller ongoing care packages, which are easier to source and lower in cost. The costs of building new hospital wards are also avoided.

Key stats (March 2020 – September 2024):

  • Over 1,200 patients have been treated at home
  • Patients spend, on average, 20 days fewer in hospital
  • Patients reported an average 22% improvement in clinical outcomes
  • The service costs 45% compared to in-patient care
  • 99% of patients would highly recommend the service
  • 100% of client contacts said they would recommend us
  • SBS Framework allows new pathways to be mobilised in as little as 4 weeks.

Andy Collett, Head of Business Development at HomeLink Healthcare commented:

“The collaboration enhances patient care and streamlines the discharge process, ensuring patients receive the best possible care in the comfort of their homes. By leveraging the NHS SBS Framework, we can provide high-quality, efficient, and patient-centred care, ultimately benefiting both patients and the healthcare system as a whole.”

About HomeLink Healthcare

HomeLink Healthcare have been delivering Hospital at Home services since 2016 and provide a solution for the future. We deliver system benefits for ICBs, Trusts and the community. Our services improve patient outcomes and flow, reduce waiting lists and save costs. In our recent survey 100% of client contacts said they would recommend us.

HomeLink Healthcare is a named supplier on the NHS SBS Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services Framework Agreement, Lot 1 Discharge to Assess and Lot 3 Integrated Care at Home. By using the framework, a new service can be set up in 8 to 12 weeks.

HomeLink Healthcare’s feasibility assessments often reveal around a ward’s worth of patients across the hospital that could complete their recovery at home or avoid admission, with the right Hospital at Home provision in place.

Get in touch

To discuss how HomeLink Healthcare could help your organisation or to request a free feasibility assessment, call us on (020) 3137 5370 or contact us.

Improving productivity and efficiency in community care: HomeLink Healthcare’s partnership with an NHS Trust in the East of England

Winter is a challenging time for the NHS, with increased demand for services placing a strain on already stretched resources. In the winter of 2023, an NHS Trust in the East of England faced a significant increase in demand for community nursing services. The pressure was particularly intense for planned care and Urgent Community Response Teams (UCR). In collaboration with the local Integrated Care Board (ICB), the Trust and HomeLink Healthcare co-designed a service to increase capacity and improve efficiency.

HomeLink Healthcare, a well-established provider of out-of-hospital services across four NHS England regions, had previously been commissioned by the ICB to set up a managed service, providing additional seasonal reablement capacity in the area. To meet the challenges of the 2023/24 winter, the ICB turned to HomeLink once again to help with community services across their region. With a proven track record of delivering safe, high-quality clinical care to NHS patients and a proven ability to mobilise swiftly, HomeLink was chosen by the Trust to provide additional resilience.

Working together, the Trust and HomeLink Healthcare identified two key pathways where our community team of Registered Nurses and Healthcare Support Workers could make the most impact – wound care for care home residents and at-home phlebotomy services. This allowed the Trust’s community teams to focus resources on other essential planned care and UCR activities.

Safe, effective delivery of the new service was achieved within four weeks, using the PRINCE2 project management approach, and led by a dedicated HomeLink Healthcare project manager across several interrelated workstreams, from service design to clinical and information governance; IT; contract and finance; communications; workforce and recruitment. Before going live, the service was rigorously tested to ensure patient safety.

One of the initial challenges in delivering the new service was the wide geographical area it covered, with patients spread across a largely rural region. This resulted in longer travel times between patient visits, which could have impacted efficiency. However, the local knowledge of our staff proved invaluable, as their familiarity with the area allowed for more effective scheduling. By reducing travel times and maximising patient-facing hours, we were able to boost productivity and increase the number of patients seen each week.

The service was delivered with a strong emphasis on collaboration and communication between HomeLink Healthcare and the Trust. In addition to daily updates from the HomeLink team, weekly meetings were held to discuss caseloads and address any problems or issues that arose. Monthly service reviews further developed the ethos of partnership working and included reporting KPIs for the service, such as the number of visits delivered, length of stay, as well as clinical quality and safety indicators. All patient encounters (visits) were shared with the Trust on a daily basis. By providing full access to our patient notes and keeping the Trust informed of any issues or incidents, close integration of clinical records was achieved.

Key outcomes:

  • Improved patient flow: Over a 6 month period, HomeLink Healthcare delivered 3,048 patient visits, which included 1,564 patients seen for blood tests and 212 patients in care homes treated for wound care. Following an initial ramp-up period, we reduced the waiting list for phlebotomy services by 100%, from 300 unallocated visits to zero in five weeks.
  • Patient satisfaction: 100% of our patients said they would highly recommend us to their friends and family, and 100% said they would be happy to be treated by HomeLink at home again.

The collaboration between HomeLink Healthcare and the Trust successfully addressed planned care needs and released much needed staff for UCR services. By freeing up the Trust’s resources, the partnership not only improved patient flow and reduced the waiting list for phlebotomy services, but also helped to address inequalities in access to healthcare, ensuring that more patients received the care and support they needed.

Work with us

To find out more about the process of commissioning HomeLink Healthcare to set up a Hospital at Home service, click here.

Get in touch

To speak to a member of our team about how our services could assist your organisation and patients, call us on (020) 3137 5370 or contact us.

Maximise virtual ward occupancy to protect your hospital bed capacity

Average virtual ward occupancy in the NHS is 70% (May 2024) whilst HomeLink Healthcare’s average occupancy is 97%.

Jenny Keane, Director of Intermediate Care at NHS England has outlined five barriers to virtual ward referrals:

Barriers of referring into a virtual ward

Through our strong collaboration with patients, NHS partners and social care agencies we have been able to ensure our (contracted) occupancy remains high, freeing up those much needed beds on hospital wards.

Please click on the short animation below that shows ways in which we have been able to maximise capacity on virtual wards that our clinicians support.

 

If you would like to speak to our team about our virtual ward or other hospital at home pathways, please email us at info@homelinkhealthcare.co.uk or call 020 3137 5370.

 

 

Partnership with HomeLink saves 20,000 bed days at James Paget Hospital

Thanks to a partnership with HomeLink Healthcare, The James Paget University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has freed up nearly 20,000 bed days since they started working together four years ago. The service, known as Paget at Home, creates an additional ward of capacity every day, by providing treatment and care at home to patients who would otherwise have remained in hospital. The operational headroom created contributes to productivity benefits while the bed days are costing less than half the equivalent in-hospital care.

"Pro-active lead, excellent engagement with Trust colleagues and escalating concerns"
- James Paget Client Survey

The situation

Like almost all acute hospitals The James Paget was experiencing extreme capacity issues when they first commissioned our services back in March 2020. Fast forward to the end of 2023 and hospital bed capacity was 88%. This compared favourably to an average across all NHS hospitals of 90%, thanks in part to Paget at Home.

The solution

Paget at Home started as an Early Supported Discharge service which included clinical care at home and Bridging Packages of Care. It has developed over four years to cover a range of pathways including supporting the Virtual Ward, IV Therapy, Discharge to Assess and Reablement.

How does it work?

An on-site team pro-actively identify patients who are medically optimised or no longer meet the criteria to reside and enable same-day transfer / discharge home. Home based wrap-around care is provided by a HomeLink Healthcare multi-disciplinary team. The on-site team do the heavy lifting managing the on-going care, co-ordinating with consultants, referrers and community providers, minimising the impact on hospital staff.  The service is supported by a 24/7 on-call service.

As a clinician-led organisation, a commitment to quality care is at the heart of everything we do. For each new pathway HomeLink Healthcare carry out a feasibility assessment using hospital data. Clinical governance is co-produced, and pathways are rapidly prototyped, evaluated and rolled out, using technology as an enabler where appropriate. A comprehensive suite of KPIs is implemented, and real-time data allows the team to identify best practice quickly and apply corrective actions as necessary.

Services are commissioned using the NHS SBS Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services Framework Agreement. Using the Framework means that the time to contract is shortened significantly compared to a full tender. This saves significant time and money and enables us to fully mobilise new services through a ‘test and learn’ phase to full ramp in 4-12 weeks.

"Excellent team and service, so happy I can be treated in my own home"
- Patient

The results

Increased capacity and improved patient flow: Over the last four years Paget at Home has supported over 1,000 patients and released over 20,000 bed days, saving an average of 20 bed days every day. This is the equivalent of almost a whole hospital ward. With a capacity of around 500 in-patient beds, these 20 ‘at home beds’ effectively increase hospital capacity by four percent.

Better patient outcomes: Patients reported, on average, a 21 percent improvement in clinical outcomes (EQ-5D-5L) by the end of their treatment. 99 percent also said they would recommend HomeLink/Paget at Home to Friends and Family. By supporting patients across a largely rural area our service also address inequalities in access to care.

Better patient outcomes

Cost effective: In 2022, James Paget calculated the average cost per hospital bed to be £450. The cost of our Hospital at Home services are currently under £200 per bed day. Even without factoring a cost increase, this is a 55 percent cost saving.

Implications for the future

Patients: Paget at Home and other HomeLink Healthcare Hospital at Home models ensure that patients spend much less time in hospital which reduces the risk of infections, deconditioning and depression. By being discharged as soon as they are medically optimised or medically fit, and starting rehabilitation immediately, they also have much better outcomes. Patients much prefer being treated in the comfort of their own homes and, as a result of all these factors, they are much more likely to return to their pre-hospital level of independence. Patients are less likely to be re-admitted into hospital and will need reduced ongoing care.

Patient flow: Patients needing complex treatments or multi-disciplinary care often remain in hospital for far longer than they need to. A recent study found that the average length of stay in hospital was 34.8% longer in 2022/23 compared to 2019/20*. HomeLink Healthcare’s feasibility assessments often reveal around a ward worth of patients across the hospital that could complete their recovery at home, with the right Hospital at Home provision in place.

If every hospital in the country could create an additional 4% capacity, as The James Paget has done, this could be used to reduce the occupancy levels from 90% to 86% (85% is widely considered the risk threshold).

Sustainable additional capacity: If hospitals are to tackle increasing demand on Urgent and Emergency Departments, growing elective waiting lists and pressure on GPs they either need to increase hospital capacity (requiring more staff and additional wards) or treat more people at home.

As HomeLink Healthcare bring our own multi-disciplinary staff team, this avoids the recruitment challenges associated with resourcing additional capacity. This additional capacity, along with lower occupancy rates enables existing healthcare staff to focus on core delivery and allows time to plan for new patients and longer-term care.

Cost-savings: When occupancy levels are optimised** the cost of hospital at home services are significantly lower than the equivalent in-patient care. Improved patient outcomes mean smaller ongoing care packages, which are easier to source and lower in cost. The costs of building new hospital wards are also avoided.

Key stats (March 2020 – Feb 2024)

  • Over 1,000 patients have been treated at home
  • Patients spend on average 20 days fewer in hospital.
  • Patients reported an average 21% improvement in clinical outcomes
  • The service costs 45% compared to in-patient care
  • 99% of patients would highly recommend the service
  • 100% of client contacts said they would recommend us
  • SBS Framework allows new pathways to be mobilised in as little as 4 weeks

About HomeLink Healthcare

HomeLink Healthcare have been delivering Hospital at Home services since 2016 and provide a solution for the future. We deliver system benefits for ICBs, Trusts and the Community. Our services improve patient outcomes, improve patient flow, reduce waiting lists and save costs. In our recent survey 100% of client contacts said they would recommend us.

HomeLink Healthcare is a named supplier on the NHS SBS Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services Framework Agreement. By using the framework, you can contract with us directly and we can get a new service up and running in around 12 weeks.

To discuss how HomeLink Healthcare could help your organisation, or to request a free Feasibility Assessment please get in touch.

Call 020 3137 5310 or email info@homelinkhealthcare.co.uk

 

* Newton / CCH report – Finding a way home, November 2023

** HomeLink Healthcare virtual wards have a 97% occupancy rate compared to 70% across the NHS (Jan 2024)

Got a question? Contact us on (020) 3137 5370

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