By taking a Your Home First approach we aim to support you to stay in your own home and avoid the need to attend or be admitted to hospital, wherever possible. We recognise that sometimes people need to attend hospital for tests and treatment, however, it’s often better to receive care in the comfort of your own home as this can avoid the need for you to travel to hospital where you may have to wait to be seen in a noisier and more stressful environment.

We also want to ensure that if you do need to be admitted you are able to return to your own home as soon as you are well enough, without experiencing any delays, as staying in hospital for longer than clinically necessary can have a big impact on your health and wellbeing. For example, it can reduce your independence, fitness and muscle strength and increase your risk of infection. Getting back to your own home and being able to sleep in your own bed also helps you get back into your usual routine.

In addition, we want to prevent situations where patients are transferred straight from hospital to a care home as, with the right care and support, most people can return to their own home first. This ensures any follow up assessments or rehabilitation support, including physiotherapy, can be provided in the comfort and familiarity of your own home which, in many cases, may result in you being able to stay at home. More information on how to prepare for coming into and leaving hospital, including advice and support for local carers, can be found here.

A wide range of work is underway across Forth Valley to support a Your Home First Approach. This includes the development of more joined up and coordinated services in local communities, particularly for frail, older people, to avoid the need for them to attend hospital. ‘Call Before You Convey’ arrangements have also been put in place with the Scottish Ambulance Service which enable paramedics to speak direct to local consultants based at Forth Valley Royal Hospital for advice which could avoid the need for patients to be taken to hospital.  Arrangements for assessing patients when they attend hospital or are referred by their GP are also being reviewed to increase the use of the Urgent Care Centre and reduce overcrowding in the Emergency Department.

Efforts to improve the way discharges from hospital are planned and coordinated in a more consistent way throughout the week, including at weekends, are also being implemented. This includes ensuring every patient admitted to hospital has a planned date of discharge (see video below for information) and every ward has arrangements in place to discharge patients who no longer require medical care on a daily basis, working closely with community teams to arrange follow up support, if required.

By taking a Your Home First approach we hope to improve the experience of local patients and staff, reduce delays and increase capacity across local health and care services.