Community Home First helps hospital patients home

A new service for Cheshire West and Chester that supports getting medically fit people out of hospital and back home has celebrated its official launch at the Countess of Chester Hospital.

The Community Home First initiative not only helps patients when they are ready to leave the hospital but assists with arranging comprehensive support to prevent readmission once they are home.

A partnership of charities across Cheshire West and Chester is working together to provide the Community Home First service. Cheshire Community Action is leading the initiative and employs community connector staff based at the Countess of Chester Hospital and Leighton Hospital in Crewe. Their role is to talk to people in the hospital who are well enough to leave and help them get home by tackling any practical problems that prevent discharge.

After discharge, local social enterprise Snow Angels offers six weeks of support at home for older patients identified with the help of clinical staff. This support includes check-ins, shopping and prescription drop-offs.

Scheme partner Age UK Cheshire also offers dedicated home visits to newly discharged patients who require more holistic and comprehensive support to support their recovery and independence.

Cheshire and Warrington Carers Trust completes the service by providing specialist support at a vital time to carers who have been in hospital themselves and have just got home.

Mark Reading, Chief Executive of Cheshire Community Action, said:

“We hope that the extra support provided by Community Home First will free up much-needed hospital beds, prevent readmissions and make sure that people get the support they need to stay healthy and independent at home.

“Having run a pilot scheme in 2023, we know that together we can make a difference to patients and hospital staff by helping people to get back to their everyday lives. We look forward to seeing where we can take Community Home First as we expand the service and the number of people we help.

About Cheshire Community Action

Established in 1930, Cheshire Community Action (CCA) is a registered charity working through Cheshire West and Chester, Cheshire East, Halton and Warrington. Originally founded to support rural communities, in recent years the organisation has branched out to provide services in larger towns and suburbs.

CCA is an independent organisation and a member of Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE). Its mission is to give Cheshire communities a stronger voice through engagement and supporting them to influence the places, spaces and services that are important to them.

Pictured - Community Home First’s Community Connectors, left to right: Alyssa Baines, Margaret Williams, Jo Foster and Lucy Okell, at CFH's launch event on 24 January.