New approach helps Falkirk patients recover at home sooner
People in Falkirk are benefiting from a new approach that helps them return home from hospital sooner and recover in familiar surroundings, members of Falkirk’s Integration Joint Board have heard.
The evaluation of the Shifting the Balance of Care programme was presented at Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership’s Board meeting on Friday, 5 December, highlighting how the approach has reduced delayed discharges, shortened hospital stays, and supported more people to return home safely.
The programme was launched this summer with a focus on discharging an extra 32 people than usual from Forth Valley Royal Hospital during June.
This was achieved by bringing teams together to offer round the clock support at home. Patients left hospital using a Discharge to Assess model, which allows assessment to take place in their own homes or community-based facilities instead of the hospital bed.
Over a 21-day period, people receive support and assessments as they recover at home before any ongoing care packages are arranged. This allows a more accurate understanding of an individual’s needs and helps people get the right care in place.
To make this possible, local care and support at home services and the Mobile Emergency Care Service offer up to 24-hour care immediately after discharge. During the assessment period, individuals may receive support from a wide range of health and care professionals, including Home First, ReACH, District Nursing, and Allied Health Professionals.
Since its introduction, the average length of time people stayed in hospital had shortened, with delayed discharges falling to their lowest level since April 2022. Patients discharged through the new pathway spent an average of 79 days in hospital in June, compared to just 36 days by August.
The evaluation found that although all of the patients supported were initially expected to enter long-term care, 63 percent were instead able to return to their own homes with tailored support.
Feedback from patients and families has been positive, with many describing the process as smooth, well-coordinated, and reassuring.
Members of the Board were shown a video featuring local resident, James, who was helped home after a 7-week stay in hospital.
James explained how the approach has helped him: “You recover better being at home than you do at the hospital. Because at the hospital it is long and dragged out. At home, you get your physio, exercise, and carers. You know you are well looked after, and it’s a good thing for your recovery.”
Caroline Doherty, Falkirk Health and Social Care Partnership’s Head of Community Services, adds: “This whole-system effort has helped us deliver care closer to home, reduce pressure on local hospitals, and improve efficiency by ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
“It’s about giving people the best chance to recover in familiar surroundings and live independently for longer.”
A business case is now being developed to secure recurring funding and embed the model into mainstream practice.