More vulnerable elderly patients will be able to get home quicker under our HomeFirst Scheme, after the King George and Queen’s Hospitals Charity secured funding from NHS Charities Together.

The money includes that raised by the late Sir Captain Tom Moore, who captured all our hearts last year when he raised over £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden. Our slice of the funding will be spent on three fully-equipped ambulances, including a driver and crew member to transport elderly patients home from hospital.

HomeFirst is when an assessment for a patient’s rehab, equipment and care needs takes place in their own home, which gives a much more accurate picture of the level of support they actually require. Most importantly, it ensures long-term decisions are not made about their future while they are in hospital. It involves working closely with our partners, including NELFT, Essex Cares, Age UK, our CCGs, local councils, and the Red Cross.

The scheme is run by our Red2Green team, which submitted the original bid to our charity to apply for this funding.

As well as providing the ambulances, our charity is working closely with Age UK to fund an additional member of their staff to visit patients at home to provide a range of support to those at risk of isolation including; care planning and coordinating different professionals; helping them to access community services; and provide advice and information to help their overall wellbeing.

We will also be providing these patients with SPARKO, an easy-to-use technology specifically aimed at older people and reducing their risk of isolation. It connects to their TV and gives them the chance to video chat with family and friends, while also offering tailored entertainment suited to their interests and needs, including fitness sessions and live discussion groups. It even links to the caregiver app which allows Age UK staff and relatives/carers to set reminders which pop up on the TV.

George Wood, Chairman of our charity, said: “What Sir Captain Tom Moore did in raising so much money for NHS charities was inspiring, so we wanted to ensure we put our share to good use.

“I can’t think of a more fitting project – supporting our elderly and vulnerable patients to get home from hospital, while also offering initiatives, such as SPARKO, to reduce social isolation and loneliness, which have been exacerbated due to the pandemic. It has also been a great opportunity to work collaboratively across our communities, such as with Age UK.”

Mike Exford, Red2Green transformation facilitator at our Trust, added: “This scheme is making a huge difference to our patients, who we know would prefer to be in their own homes where possible. It also lessens their risk of potential harm, such as loss of independence, common after long hospital stays.

“Not only that, it’s improving patient flow through our hospitals and freeing up our acute therapists to focus on those patients who really need them.”

Our charity secured £390,000 from NHS Charities Together, and will make up the remainder of the £500,000 budget for this project for the next 12 months from general funds.

If you’d like to make a donation to our charity to support this project, please contact the fundraising team on 01708 774 825.

Pictured top alongside one of the ambulances (l-r) are our Chief Executive Tony Chambers, an ambulance crew member, Mike Exford, Red2Green team, Aleks Hammerton, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, and Chief Nurse Kathryn Halford.