The Hospital at Home service is set to be bolstered by another £3.6m of investment, the Scottish Government has announced.
The funding will support more than 150 extra virtual beds, giving even more patients access to more convenient care, as well as helping alleviate pressure on health services.
This latest round of investment takes the total funding of the service up to £10.7m since 2020 and increases the number of patients supervised through Hospital at Home by 50%.
Michael Matheson, health secretary, commented: “Hospital at Home has already proved to be very successful and most importantly, beneficial to patients and the wider system. That’s why we have allocated a further £3.6m so more people can be managed at home rather than in hospital.
“Patients have spoken very positively about the service and it also reduces pressure on A&E and the Scottish Ambulance Service by avoiding admissions and accelerating discharge. Hospital beds will always be available to people who need them, but this is a better alternative for many.”
The 2023/24 funding will be allocated to areas with existing services and those yet to develop a Hospital at Home service, with Healthcare Improvement Scotland overseeing the upgrade works.
Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s associate director of improvement, Belinda Robertson, added: “We’re delighted the Scottish Government will continue to fund the development of Hospital At Home services. An increasing number of patients are experiencing the benefits of receiving acute hospital care at home.
“More and more NHS boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are embracing Hospital At Home by establishing and developing services. We will continue to support NHS boards and Partnerships to further develop the services they provide, and share learning across all Hospital At Home services.”
