The benefits of home healthcare - for patients

Provided they can be confident in the reliability and quality of care they will be receiving, most patients would prefer to be treated in the comfort, convenience and privacy of their home. Patients and their families are happier and more relaxed, which can often mean a better response to treatment and faster recovery times. Also, almost without exception, patients receiving extended care at home will enjoy a better quality of life than those who remain in hospital. Patients and their carers are not burdened with issues such as the collection of clinical waste, and they have the reassurance of pre-arranged drug delivery times, rather than having to make repeated trips to their GP or chemist. Contact with their healthcare provider is via a 24-hour helpline, where support and advice is always available.

The benefits of home healthcare - for the NHS

Home healthcare delivered in partnership with the NHS is a highly effective way of caring for patients without compromising on the quality of care. It offers a single point of contact for all aspects of the service and can reduce the workload of hospital clinicians, whilst allowing them to retain overall clinical responsibility and control. It can reduce the cost of treatment, bearing in mind that caring for patients in hospital usually costs much more than treating them at home, and eliminates the need for specialist equipment and staff, which may be redundant after treatment. It can provide additional clinical resources to respond to any unexpected increase in demand for particular therapies. Also, it can have a significant impact on bed use by freeing up beds for more critical cases and helping to reduce waiting lists – as stable patients may be discharged sooner, readmissions can be reduced and some patients may not need hospitalisation at all.