Brexit dividend to pay for rapid response care teams, says PM

RAPID response teams of doctors, nurses and therapists could be sent out to homes to help cut the number of hospital admissions, said Theresa May as she announced that being cared for at home could be safer than a hospital stay.

The Prime Minister pledged £3.5billion a year for primary and community healthcare by 2023-24 as part of the forthcoming NHS long-term plan. The cash will go on the prevention of unecessary hospital admissions and to help inpatients go home sooner, through community-based response teams and support for care home residents.

The teams would provide care in the community and even administer emergency treatment as an alternative to taking patients to hospital, in a move to help patients recover closer to home.

Mrs May will unveil plans for healthcare professionals to be assigned to care homes where they will get to know patients’ needs and provide tailored treatment and support.

Records show that up to a third of people stay in hospital longer than they need to, often because they cannot get treatment close to home. Mrs May said: “Many of us might assume that hospital is the safest place to be – but in reality many patients would be much better off being cared for in the community.”

She said the plans would be funded by the “Brexit dividend” created by the UK’S departure from the European Union in March next year. She said: “Leaving the EU means taking back control of our money as we will no longer be sending vast sums to Brussels.

“This helps our public finances and means we have more money to spend on domestic priorities like our NHS. And we’ve been able to fund this historic commitment without raising taxes.”