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Shortlisted for a Chief Allied Health Professionals Officers (CAHPO) award

South East London AHP TeamHomeLink Healthcare have been shortlisted for a Chief Allied Health Professionals Officers (CAHPO) award for their work in partnership with Lewisham Adult Therapy Team (LATT). The service saw the waiting list of 203 reduce by 85 percent to 30 in an 18 week period. Not only that, 69 percent of patients were seen within three days and improved patient outcomes were seen across the board.  

In October 2021 Allied Health Professional (AHP) Leads from the South East London joined forces with AHP Leads from HomeLink Healthcare to provide a collaborative approach to addressing the increasing demands on the community physiotherapy service for patients residing in the South East London regions of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham.  

The AHP Team drove innovation and change in the creation and implementation of a new pathway that addresses both the NHSE/I Long Term Plan and commitments to AHPs into Action. The results were increased physiotherapy capacity in the community; improved patient flow; and better patient outcomes and experience. 

The challenge 

The challenges identified by the AHP Team were as follows: 

  • The LATT therapy leads reported an increase in demand from referrals for patients requiring community physiotherapy.  
  • They cited workforce concerns preventing them from meeting their referral demands along with an increase in the use of agency staff thereby driving up costs and potentially reducing quality and effectiveness. 
  • LATT were experiencing an increase in staff burn out, sickness and challenges balancing annual leave and staff training. 
  • LATT reported a waiting list of 203 patients, with patients waiting more than six months for a therapy review. 
  • Concerns were raised that patients were being admitted to hospital on account of not receiving timely physiotherapy support to maintain them safely in their own homes. 
  • The patient experience was poor due to increased waiting times for therapy input. 

Aims, outcomes, and ways of working to overcome potential barriers 

Aims 

AHP-logoA set of SMART aims for the pathway were co-created to improve patient flow and physiotherapy capacity for patients living in the Lambeth, Southwark and  Lewisham localities. 

  • Provide a responsive physiotherapy service that delivers efficient and effective  patient centred physiotherapy treatments to maintain them safely at home. 
  • Reduce waiting list of community physiotherapy. Prior to the service, 203 patients were awaiting therapy. 
  • Improve patient outcomes by increasing mobility and functional independence. There were no standard clinical outcomes in circulation. 

Outcomes 

  • A shared vision of quality improvement across all pathways made it possible to mobilise the pathway in just 4 weeks.
  • 69 percent* of patients were able to be seen within three days of (non-urgent) referral (*based on patient choice). 
  • The waiting list was reduced by 85.2% to just 30 patients in just 18 weeks. 
  • Positive outcomes in mBarthel and EQ-5D-5L measures.   
    • mBarthel increased from 76.5 to 87 
    • Self-reported health state (VAS) increased from 54.4 to 67.6 
    • Self-reported EQ-5D-5L figures improved in all dimensions (note a decreasing score is an improvement) 

EQ 5D 5L

  • Quality improvement was delivered and measured with data regularly shared by the AHP Team to support wider MDT collaboration. These outcome measures are now adopted as standard within SEL.  
  • As a result of shared learnings 4x as many patients are benefitting from the new pathway in South East London. 
  • The service has spread across the System. From Lambeth and Southwark, the model has been reused in Lewisham, Bromley and Woolwich with learnings shared in other ICSs. 

How did we do this?

  • AHPs worked collaboratively. Regular review meetings were held to ensure quality and safety. 
  • An operational manual was co-produced with wider MDT to ensure effective and efficient governance. 
  • We agreed patient specific outcome measures in order demonstrate quality improvements. 
  • Wider system partners were involved in order to increase shared learning practices and collaboration to safely deliver 240 visits per week 

Transferable lessons learned:

  • Workforce retention and recruitment strategies are essential to ensure longevity to new services. This pathway enabled a 66% increase in capacity for staffing which allowed teams to take annual leave and manage COVID-19 isolations whilst providing continuation of care to patients.  
  • Involving Consultant bodies and wider system partners from the outset is essential to optimise referral and discharge processes. 
  • Being comfortable having open and honest conversations with colleagues for the benefit of the patient has enabled improved outcomes. 
  • Regular knowledge-sharing and reporting are vital for optimising patient outcomes. 
  • Ensure the whole AHP/MDT team is involved in the journey, so the service is driven by those who deliver it. Recognising the value of different knowledge and skills that staff of all levels can add. 

Adeola Telesford, Highly Specialist Rehabilitation Occupational Therapist from Enabling Services, Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust commented:

“I am truly pleased with the professional relationship/rapport we have built because it has enhanced our regular verbal and written feedback on cases.

I am particularly pleased by the fact your service has been able to visit patients in a timely manner (within 24-48hours of receiving the referral) and to carry out pre-planned joint visits with me. Timely intervention, which I have found with a number of cases, made a significant positive impact on the SMART goals that were set for each patient.

It was refreshing if not amazing to see how the combined intervention of PT and OT input complimented each other. Your service input proves the validity in having PT and OT working alongside each other in a service of this nature when working towards a time frame of maximum 6 week interventions. I look forward to continued working with you”.

NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) framework agreement renewal enables direct commissioning of Hospital at Home services

We are pleased to announce we have been reappointed as a supplier on NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services Framework Agreement. NHS partners can procure services with HomeLink Healthcare directly via the framework agreement.

 

New NHS SBS Framework Agreement

About the framework agreement

This NHS SBS framework agreement has been developed to reduce the demand on NHS Trusts by supporting with their adult patient discharge pathways. The framework agreement aims to:

  • facilitate transfer of patients from hospital beds to a more appropriate level of care
  • supply additional bed capacity within the NHS urgent care system infrastructure by relieving bed pressures within the local health economy
  • discharge patients meeting specific clinical criteria into an appropriate care setting, reducing instances of re-admission to hospital
  • allow patients to have personalised on-to-one support maintaining continuity of care
  • provide a dedicated pathway to hospital discharge management services.

HomeLink Healthcare is a supplier on the following Lots:

  • Lot 1: Discharge to Assess Services: facilitates patient discharge not only from emergency departments but also from the wider acute hospital and community care settings.
  • Lot 3: Virtual Ward Support Services: supplies a “secondary care” service within a patients care setting for up to 6 weeks. Patients are transferred to the Virtual Ward Support Service following referral from the Trusts’ clinical discharge teams on acceptance by service leads.

“Free to access, our ‘Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services’ framework agreement is designed to support the transition of patients from hospital, reducing instances of pressure on acute hospital beds, Social Services and re-admissions. In turn, this enables health and care providers to free up capacity to deal with other patients. improve quality of care and health outcomes.” Elaine Alsop, Head of Category – Health, at NHS SBS.

Avoid delays and contract with us directly

NHS partners can use the NHS SBS Patient Discharge and Mental Health Step Down Beds Services framework agreement to directly award contracts to HomeLink Healthcare, saving time and money on the procurement process.

New services can be mobilised in 8-12 weeks. Act now to get a new service up and running within three months and at full capacity within around four months.

  1. Develop specification, business case, contracting options and supplier engagement: now!
  2. Contracting: one week
  3. Service mobilisation: twelve weeks
  4. Go live!
  5. Ramp up to full capacity: six weeks

Work with us

HomeLink Healthcare has been delivering Hospital at Home services since 2016. As a supplier to NHS SBS’s new framework agreement and its previous iteration which ran for four years from March 2019,  it has been used to procure a wide variety of pathways from a large number of organisations including Trusts and the Community Services.

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

Get in touch

To speak to a member of our team about our services, call us on (020) 3137 5370 or contact us. You can tell us about your situation, and we can tell you more about our experience of supporting our NHS partners and how we might be able to help you.

 

Greener AHP week 2023

Greener AHP week

Greener AHP weekGreener AHP (Allied Health Professionals) week, 17th – 24th April 2023, hosted by NHS England, gave us the opportunity to showcase and celebrate the achievements of AHPs in making healthcare more environmentally sustainable.

A lot of AHP practice is preventative, but it also tends to be high-value, person-centred care focused on enablement, meeting patients’ own goals and building their resilience to future acute episodes, for example: falls prevention, signposting, etc.

We know early mobilisation of patients prevents complications, uses fewer hospital resources and helps people get home sooner. We celebrated Greener AHP week by inspiring and encouraging new ideas about how we can become even more sustainable in our practices.

In the below video Stu Southgate, an AHP and our Commercial Lead for Midlands and the North, discusses what AHP week means to him:

HomeLink Healthcare’s commitment to sustainability

HomeLink Healthcare is a member of the Independent Healthcare Providers Network (IHPN) Climate Change Group and is committed to being net zero carbon emissions for scope 1 and 2 by 2035 and net zero carbon emissions for supply chain by 2045.

We are in the process of becoming ISO 14001 certified and have an Environmental Policy and relevant procedures in place to attain this certification.

Here are some of the sustainable practices we already follow at HomeLink Healthcare and actions we have taken to reduce carbon emissions:

  • Our therapy staff in London utilise public transport and therefore already work in a low-carbon, sustainable model of care.
  • We offer remote physiotherapy sessions.
  • Our therapists draw on assets outside the healthcare system, such as family relationships, local spaces and community groups. Often undertaking Physiotherapy to support patients to access local gardens and public transport.
  • Our AHPs work in an integrated system, linking in with multi-agencies to ensure that patients receive timely medical and social input to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
  • Walking aids – working in patients homes our staff can identify when equipment can be safely removed and reused.
  • We know care needs change when at home, our staff can support to prevent over prescription of equipment.
  • When HomeLink Healthcare AHPs are in patients’ homes we ensure they are able to access adequate and appropriate nutrition and hydration which will help to prevent ill health and add life to years not just years to life.
  • Our AHPs can support patients post-surgery with early supported discharge.
  • Our AHPs can also work with patients pre-operatively to maximise nutrition and increase global strength to improve outcomes.
  • HomeLink Healthcare has planted over 150 trees in recognition of their contributions to the business and for improving our sustainability.
  • We are working towards a ‘paper free’ company to reduce its inherent environmental impacts– currently we are 90% paper free.
  • We purchase bio-degradable PPE aprons for use in the delivery of our services.
  • HomeLink Healthcare has introduced mandatory training on Environmental Sustainability Healthcare.
  • Over 95% of all internal and client meetings are held virtually.
  • Public transport is the ‘automatic choice’ for all corporate travel.
  • Rail is used in place of air-travel for all long-distance travel.
  • An incentive scheme is being developed to encourage community-based care teams to use electric vehicles.
  • Smart routing (backed by Google technology) for our community teams ensures that travel between patients is minimised.
  • Our major suppliers are asked to report on their environmental policy as part of their annual re-evaluation.
  • HomeLink Healthcare IT systems are cloud based which will be 100% renewable energy powered by 2025, water positive by 2030 and zero waste by 2030.

All staff are given the opportunity to feedback and suggest new and innovative ways for HomeLink Healthcare to improve sustainability via an internal ‘Opportunities and Change Request’ process.

View and share our Greener AHP week social media updates on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

HomeLink Healthcare wins Prestige Award

In March 2023 we received great news that we had won a Prestige Award in the category: Home Care Provider of the Year – London & the South East.  

The Prestige Awards have been running for the last 16 years and they recognise small and medium sized businesses that have proven to be the best in their market over the past 12 months.  

The Prestige Awards team conduct extensive research into all nominees for their awards programme. As a shortlisted company we were asked to support our nomination with evidence of our work, positive feedback from their clients, information on accreditations and recognition as-well-as highlighting the most outstanding parts of our businesses. 

The judging panel based their decisions upon criteria such as service excellence, quality of the service provided, innovative practices, ethical and sustainable ways of working as well as consistency in performance. We were selected as winners due to our ability to best demonstrate strengths in these areas. 

We are looking forward to attending the awards ceremony which takes place in August 2023.  

More information about the Prestige Awards can be found here. 

Recruitment in Norfolk

Award-winning hospital at home service provider is looking for Nurses, Physiotherapists and  Healthcare Support Workers in Norfolk.  

– Do you want to work for an award winning, clinically led, patient-centric organisation?

– Do you want to feel truly valued in your work?

– Do you want to spend quality time with patients and make a real difference?  

At HomeLink Healthcare we offer the above and much more! Find out more below and join us at one of our recruitment events in Kings Lynn on Friday 24th March or Norwich on Thursday 30th March.  

Who are HomeLink Healthcare? 

HomeLink Healthcare is an award-winning provider of Hospital at Home services. Our teams deliver multi-disciplinary care to people in their own homes.  We believe that every patient should have the choice to be treated in their own home, rather than in hospital when it is clinically safe to do so.  

Our work in partnership with the NHS increases hospital capacity, improves patient flow, reduces delayed discharges and delivers great patient outcomes.   

We’ve been delivering Hospital at Home pathways across Norfolk and Waveney since 2016.  

  • 98% of patients would highly recommend us. 
  • 100% NHS partner satisfaction (responses between July 2022 & Jan 2023). 
  •  Our work across Norfolk and Waveney has been shortlisted for a 2023 HSJ Partnership Award.  

Why our staff want to work for HomeLink Healthcare 

"It is the best place I have ever worked"
- Elaine, Community Nurse

We have worked hard to develop an open and welcoming culture where everyone is valued and rewarded for the part they play in delivering high quality patient care.  

  • We had 98% staff retention between 2021 and 2022. 
  • We have 86% staff satisfaction compared to 76% in other organisations (Happiness Index 2022).
  • A minimum of 45 minutes with the patient on each visit with an average of 5 visits per shift. 
  • We welcome flexible working. 
  • We encourage career development and rotation between different services. 

We’re hiring: join our team! 

"It is all about quality rather than quantity of work"
- Michele, Healthcare Assistant

We are looking for exceptional clinical staff to join our growing team. We know that the quality, compassion and commitment of our teams is essential to delivering high-quality care and producing excellent patient outcomes. Whether you are a Nurse, a Physiotherapist or a Healthcare Support Worker, if you work with us you will be giving people exceptional clinical care at home. 

Attend one of our recruitment events 

  • King’s Lynn: Friday 24th March

Drop in at any time between 1.30 and 7pm at The Globe Hotel, Tuesday Market Place, King’s Lynn, PE30 1EZ.

  • Norwich: Thursday 30th March

Drop in at any time between 1.30 and 7pm at The Forum, Millennium Plain, Norwich, NR2 1TF.

Can’t attend our event? View our job advertisements and apply directly 

"We value honesty, trust and transparency. Our staff really feel this"
- April, Head of Clinical & Operational Services

Job advertisement can be found here:  

Alternatively you can email us with your enquiry at careers@homelinkhealthcare.co.uk 

Or  

Please call our Clinical Recruiter, Gretchen Lister-McWilliam, on 07399 550249 for an informal discussion to find out more  

Tell your friends and colleagues 

If you have any friends or colleagues that you think may be interested in working for HomeLink Healthcare please share this page with them!  

Recruitment in High Wycombe and Slough

HomeLink Healthcare, the specialist Hospital at Home service provider, is looking for Nurses and Healthcare Support Workers in High Wycombe, Slough and surrounding areas to join our team.

– Do you want to work for a clinically-led, patient-centric organisation?

– Do you want to feel truly valued in your work?

– Do you want to spend quality time with patients and make a real difference?  

At HomeLink Healthcare we offer the above and much more! Find out more below and join us at one of our recruitment events in in High Wycombe and Slough on 5th and 6th June.

Who are HomeLink Healthcare? 

HomeLink Healthcare is a specialist provider of Hospital at Home services. Our teams deliver multi-disciplinary care to people in their own homes.  We believe that every patient should have the choice to be treated in their own home, rather than in hospital when it is clinically safe to do so.  

Our work in partnership with the NHS increases hospital capacity, improves patient flow, reduces delayed discharges and delivers great patient outcomes.   

We’ve been delivering Hospital at Home and virtual ward services in since 2016 and now work across the country.

  • 98% of patients would highly recommend us.
  • 100% NHS partner satisfaction (2022-2023).
  • We have a CQC rating of Good.

Why our staff want to work for HomeLink Healthcare 

"It is the best place I have ever worked"
- Elaine, Community Nurse

We have worked hard to develop an open and welcoming culture where everyone is valued and rewarded for the part they play in delivering high quality patient care.  

  • We had 98% staff retention between 2021 and 2022. 
  • We have 86% staff satisfaction compared to 76% in other organisations (Happiness Index 2022).
  • A minimum of 45 minutes with the patient on each visit with an average of 5 visits per shift. 
  • We welcome flexible working. 
  • We encourage career development and rotation between different services. 

We’re hiring: join our team! 

"It is all about quality rather than quantity of work"
- Michele, Healthcare Assistant

We are looking for exceptional clinical staff to join our growing team. We know that the quality, compassion and commitment of our teams is essential to delivering high-quality care and producing excellent patient outcomes. Whether you are a Nurse or a Healthcare Support Worker, if you work with us you will be giving people exceptional clinical care at home. 

Attend one of our recruitment events at the following venues, dates and times:

Can’t attend our event? View our job advertisements and apply directly 

"We value honesty, trust and transparency. Our staff really feel this"
- April, Head of Clinical & Operational Services

Job advertisement can be found here:  

Alternatively you can email us with your enquiry at careers@homelinkhealthcare.co.uk 

Or  

Please call our Clinical Recruiter, Gretchen Lister-McWilliam, on 07399 550249 for an informal discussion to find out more  

Tell your friends and colleagues 

If you have any friends or colleagues that you think may be interested in working for HomeLink Healthcare please share this page with them!  

NHS England and IHPN visit HomeLink Healthcare service

Sam Sherrington, Deputy Director for Community Nursing at NHS England, Dawn Hodgkins and Danielle Henry from The Independent Healthcare Providers Network came to visit us at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington to see how HomeLink Healthcare services work in practice.

“What we have seen here today in HomeLink is a very dynamic, solutions focused way in which we are trying to address problems around discharge”. – Sam Sherrington, NHS England

Here is a short video with Sam and Dawn reflecting on the importance of the service and some of the great things they’d observed from the HomeLink Healthcare service – the partnership between independent sector and the NHS, the innovation and quality of service, and the care, dedication and expertise of the clinicians – nurses, therapists and more – working to deliver for patients.

 

Find out more about HomeLink Healthcare’s Hospital at Home services.

Get in touch 

To speak to a member of our team about our services or to book a free feasibility assessment, call us on (020) 3137 5370 or contact us.  

Shortlisted for the HSJ Partnership Awards for the third time

HomeLink Healthcare is delighted to announce that for the third time we have been shortlisted for an HSJ Partnership Award in the ”Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS” category.

Following being shortlisted in 2020 and 2022, this year it is our Hospital at Home partnership with NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) and NHS Trusts across Norfolk and Waveney ICS that has been shortlisted.

The national health and care sectors have faced innumerable pressures over the past 12 months. At the same time the standard and overriding positivity of the partnerships this year across Norfolk and Waveney highlight an enduring dedication to improving patient outcomes.

Being shortlisted for a HSJ Partnership Award shows confidence in this worthwhile project. It ensures that the team’s efforts and relentless work to improve the lives of our patients is nationally recognised.

The HSJ Partnership Awards recognise and honour the most effective partnerships, innovative projects and collaborations in the UK health system. This prestigious award programme, now in its sixth year, is not just a celebration of success stories but also a platform to shape the future of our new integrated health and care system.

Designed by NHS Trusts, NHS Norfolk and Waveney ICB and HomeLink Healthcare, our project was a testbed for Norfolk and Waveney ICS and independent sector collaboration. The project was set up to respond to exceptional capacity challenges and we have analysed how this approach could be used across the ICS footprint and beyond.

24,000 bed days have been saved at 45% of the equivalent inpatient cost.

The virtual ward and early supported discharge services being provided are enabled by technology. They are rated as excellent by patients and provided measurable system benefits. The partnership has been deemed a success and the scope and scale have been extended. The project now frees up the equivalent of two hospital wards every day.

The award judging panel comprised a diverse range of highly regarded figures across the NHS and wider healthcare sector. HomeLink Healthcare and our multiple partners across Norfolk and Waveney are delighted to be shortlisted as a finalist, despite tough competition from a pool of brilliant applications

The Hospital at Home partnership has been selected based on our combined diligence, ambition, and the positive impact that the project has had on both practitioners and patients within the health care industry.

Our partners on this project include Norfolk and Waveney ICS, James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.

Dr Frankie Swords, Medical Director, NHS Norfolk and Waveney, said:

“I am thrilled that this dynamic and innovative partnership has been recognised nationally as part of the 2023 HSJ Partnership Awards.

“The virtual wards in Norfolk and Waveney are going from strength to strength. Being able to provide effective and safe care virtually means we can not only discharge patients in a more timely way, it also supports their onward recovery journey, enabling people to recover in a more familiar setting to them, suited to their individual needs. I wish the partnership every success at the awards ceremony and look forward to this work developing even further.”

HSJ editor Alastair McLellan comments:

“We would like to congratulate HomeLink Healthcare on being nominated in the category of Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS ahead of HSJ Partnership Awards 2023. We are looking forward to welcoming them to the ceremony in March, to join us in recognising the very best collaborations and innovations in the healthcare sector. This year’s finalists are of an outstanding calibre and all of them are exceptionally dedicated to enhancing healthcare across the UK.”

The winners will be selected following a rigorous judging stage ahead of the HSJ Partnership Awards 2023 awards ceremony. The awards evening is expected to be attended by national healthcare leaders and professionals from both the NHS and private sector as well as figures from non-clinical backgrounds to celebrate innovation and collaboration in healthcare.

The selected winners will be announced during a private ceremony at Evolution London, on 23 March 2023. We wish the best of luck to all those involved!

Our commitment to Environmental and Social Governance (ESG)

HomeLink Healthcare have joined forces with providers across the independent healthcare sector in committing to a new pledge to achieve ‘net zero’ emissions by 2030.

World Environment DayAll staff are involved in the process

In the lead up to World Environment Day this year, HomeLink Healthcare’s Environmental and Social Committee ran a competition for colleagues to submit ideas that HomeLink Healthcare could implement to work towards achieving our aim of net zero emissions, for example, by reducing our carbon footprint or eliminating single use plastics.​​​​​​​

In addition to an environmentally friendly prize for the winner, HomeLink Healthcare has arranged for a tree to be planted with the National Trust on behalf of every colleague that submitted an idea.

Implementing new ideas

Almost 50 ideas have all been submitted to the relevant departments for future consideration. The winning idea, that can be implemented immediately and will start a trend in our reduction of single-use plastics, was submitted by Peta Kerrigan, Associate Clinical Lead, Paget At Home, James Paget Hospital.

We are committed to playing our role in tackling the climate change emergency.

Peta suggested that we buy-in biodegradable aprons instead of single-use plastic aprons.

The judges from our Social and Environmental Committee felt that this initiative could be easily implemented and adopted in other areas. Surprisingly, biodegradable aprons are cheaper than plastic aprons, so this is cost-effective at the same time. This will be implemented in locations where we are responsible for providing our own PPE.

HomeLink Healthcare is committed to building and maintaining a sustainable, environmentally friendly business and continues to regularly encourage ideas and feedback from colleagues on this topic.

Finalists for Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS at HSJ Awards

NHS care at home project earns coveted award

Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHSHomeLink Healthcare are delighted to announce that we were shortlisted as finalists at the prestigious Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS at the HSJ Partnership Awards at the Park Plaza, London.

We were up against some strong competition in this category, and we demonstrated that we delivered clear, and tangible financial benefits for the Trust, whilst providing significant patient outcomes very quickly due to the collaborative nature of our partnership with NHS teams.

So, how did we do it?

The challenge

COVID-19 caused pressures on the NHS, the likes of which had never been seen before.
To prevent delays in critical assessment and to ensure the safety of patients, many NHS Trusts and CCGs followed NHS England guidance to work with independent providers for additional support.

South East London CCG found HomeLink Healthcare through the National Framework of trusted providers, and formed a like-minded partnership, along with Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, and Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust.

The solution

Project aims: To support community services severely impacted by COVID-19; increase capacity and reduce the strain on existing teams.

Working in partnership the teams from HomeLink Healthcare, the CCG and the Trusts devised and implemented a, ‘Care at Home’ pilot project that would support both NHS staff and patients. The size and scope of this project was unprecedented, but with HomeLink’s experience and dedicated teams, a clear communication plan, and a structured approach the project was swiftly mobilised in just four weeks.

Patients were discharged from the service four days earlier than predicted.

With HomeLink’s help, NHS capacity was bolstered by home visits, providing continuation of quality care for patients across the community. HomeLink was able to bridge the gap that had begun to form between Intermediate Care Teams and Community Teams due to the immense and growing pressures faced by each.

The pilot project carried out by HomeLink Healthcare and NHS partners in South East London was deemed so successful it was subsequently rolled out as a full service across three boroughs.

The results

As a result of the collaboration, intermediate care therapy patients were discharged from the service four days earlier than predicted. This had significant cost savings, provided bed days saved for redeployment, cut staffing cost and time, and moreover saw excellent patient outcomes.

Patients were treated and re-enabled at home, which increased independence and reduced the likelihood of ongoing problems or readmittance, thereby freeing up additional NHS resources further down the line.

The valuable extra support during this unprecedented challenge for the NHS eased immediate pressures so community nursing staff could rest and complete annual training, safe in the knowledge that their patients were being well cared for.

Feedback on the service was overwhelmingly positive with the service rated “excellent” by patients.

The collaborative care at home pilot had such impact that HomeLink were shortlisted as finalists for ‘Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS’ at the prestigious HSJ Partnership Awards.

The success of the service was determined through KPIs and positive outcome measures.

Stakeholder feedback reaffirmed that the service was implemented at pace and brought optimism and confidence that working with an independent provider such as HomeLink Healthcare could provide high-quality home-based care while increasing capacity and improving hospital flow. 

The nature of HomeLink’s streamlined service meant it could be implemented quickly, and swiftly provide real tangible benefits for NHS partners. HomeLink Healthcare is committed to working diligently and collaboratively as an extension of NHS services.

Amanda Lloyd, System Transformation and Change Lead, NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group said:

“We recognised we had a window of opportunity to put something in place that would support both our front-line teams and our patients without delaying discharges from our busy acute hospital sites. I am proud that we achieved a safe, responsive and flexible service which meant patients received the ongoing support they needed, and staff felt able to regain some work-life balance after the efforts that Covid-19 had required.”

Jill Ireland, HomeLink Healthcare’s Chief Executive and Clinical Director said:

“The pilot service was so successful that it was commissioned as a full service and subsequently extended across neighbouring boroughs of Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham, helping address inequalities in access to care in these areas.”

“The approach was designed to be flexible and agile so it could evolve throughout the duration of the project. With a ‘test, learn, develop’ ethos, future requirements and resources could be predicted and managed in line with learnings from the initial six weeks.”

“At the heart of the service was the co-creation of the clinical pathways between HomeLink Healthcare and NHS Partners. These were designed to meet patient’s community nursing and therapy needs, reduce waiting times for out of hospital care. The clinical pathways were underpinned by robust governance and escalation process. The success of the service was determined through KPIs and positive outcome measures. These ensured that not only patient care was delivered safely and effectively, but that they were also cost effective.”

“I’m very proud that we were able to contribute to, partner with and provide additional capacity for the NHS at such a particularly critical time.  We hope that by sharing the learnings from the partnership, other services, such as these can be commissioned in other localities for patient benefit.”

“Being shortlisted as a finalist for ‘Best Healthcare Provider Partnership with the NHS’ at the HSJ Partnership Awards is the icing on the cake. A testament to the hard work and collaboration of the whole team and an accolade of which we are very proud.”

Communication was key to successful collaboration, increasing NHS capacity and improving hospital flow.

HomeLink has the time and capacity to spend quality time with patients and deliver thoroughly holistic care.

99% of patients said they would recommend the service to friends and family.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Find out more about the process of commissioning HomeLink Healthcare.

Get in touch

To speak to a member of our team about hospital at home services, call us on (020) 3137 5370 or contact us. You can tell us about your situation, and we can tell you more about our experience of hospital at home and how we might be able to help you.

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

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