A HOSPITAL to Home service has struck gold.
The Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service Hospital to Home team has received a Gold Medal Award from NHS England.
They were presented with the award by Amanda Pritchard, Chief Executive Officer of the NHS, at a surprise presentation ceremony at Warwick Hospital.
The award was in acknowledgement of the HTH team’s work helping elderly and vulnerable patients return home safely after hospital stays. The team works across Warwickshire to transport patients home and help them settle back in.
This might include making a cup of tea, putting the heating on or getting a food shop in. They also carry out Safe and Well checks for the resident, which involve looking for potential fire and safety hazards and ensuring working smoke alarms are installed.
HTH first met with Amanda at the end of 2022 to explain how the service works. Amanda was so impressed with the service that she asked for HTH to be included in an upcoming BBC Radio 4 Interview at Warwick Hospital.
When team members attended the interview, they were surprised to learn they had been nominated for an award by Rachel Williams, Associate Director of Operations for the Emergency Division at South Warwickshire NHS Foundation Trust. Amanda then presented the team with the Gold Medal Award and Rachel thanked them for their continued support.
The Gold Medal Award is part of the NHS ‘Re-Condition The Nation’ campaign, which encourages health and social care teams and settings to think of innovative ways to prevent patients from declining due to inactivity while in hospital.
Last year, HTH transported 1,428 people home from hospital.
HTH officer Saeed Sheikh said:“We provide transport home for patients and complete a Safe and Well Check to help support them be safe and independent in their own homes. We deliver this service with dignity, respect and compassion, providing personalised support with signposting and referring to other services when required.
“We take great pleasure in accepting this award on behalf of our Hospital to Home team, as well as all those who play vital role in the background contributing towards our success.”
