Home recovery to ease bed-blocking

Patients discharged are given help to cope at home

A plan to relieve bed-blocking by allowing patients to recuperate at home is being officially launched at a north Wales hospital.

The Red Cross is looking for volunteers to join the Home From Hospital scheme which is being pioneered at Wrexham Maelor Hospital.

The scheme is aimed at helping patients discharged from Wrexham Maelor Hospital cope in the first few weeks back at home.

We can safely discharge patients while, at the same time, freeing up beds for others

Andy Scottson, Wrexham Maelor Hospital

Although it has been operating successfully for several months, it will be formally unveiled on Wednesday - with the hope of attracting new supporters.

The chief idea behind the scheme is to help patients who have been discharged to readjust to normal daily life when they return home.

Many of the patients now being discharged from the hospital would not, in the past, have been able to return home so swiftly - as most need some kind of specialist back-up to assist their rehabilitation.

A team of specially-trained volunteers aims to speed their recovery in familiar surroundings by offering support and carrying out a variety of day-to-day tasks.

Spokesman Andy Scottson said the project had been having a major impact on relieving pressure on beds at the Maelor Hospital.

"Obviously we have had a lot of patients who no longer needed the hospital's clinical services, but who it would not have been safe to discharge because they would not have been able to cope at home," he said.

"However, with the extra support this scheme is able to give now, we are happy in the knowledge that we can safely discharge them back home - while, at the same time, freeing up beds for other patients."

The scheme is run by a partnership of the Red Cross, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham Social Services, and the local health group.