More people will be treated at home to relieve pressure on A&E

NHS services which help those who suffer a fall at home – or allow them to be treated or recover in their own homes through video consultations – are to be expanded to ease the pressure on A&E.

Urgent community response teams will also be scaled up to provide more patients with support at home within two hours of a call.the aim is to provide tens of thousands of elderly and vulnerable people with tailored support at home each month.

Falls and frailty teams consisting mainly of nurses are to be increased and in place for next winter. As part of the care package, technology will be used to reduce the risk of falls by remotely monitoring patients.

NHS virtual wards that allow patients to recover or be treated from the comfort of their own homes currently support elderly patients or those with acute respiratory

‘Vulnerable can be better supported’

infections and cardiac conditions.

The aim is to create thousands more “hospital at home” beds before next winter, where patients are reviewed daily by the clinical team who may visit them at home or use video technology to monitor and check how they are recovering.

The new target will see up to

50,000 people supported a month, up from around 10,000 in December.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “The health and care service is facing significant pressures and while there is no quick fix, we can take immediate action to reduce long waits for urgent and emergency care.

“Up to 20 per cent of hospital admissions are avoidable with the right care in place.

“By expanding the care provided in the community, the most vulnerable, frail and elderly patients can be better supported to continue living independently or recover at home.”