Hospital at Home
Hospital at Home (HaH) provides care that traditionally takes place in a hospital for patients from East and North Hertfordshire in the comfort of their own home.
This includes face-to-face clinical care and therapy, as well as remote monitoring services for a range of conditions for up to two weeks. This care is provided by doctors, nurses, pharmacists, specialist paramedics and therapists (including physios, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists).
Health professionals (such as your GP, your hospital doctor, paramedic, care home staff and NHS111) are able to refer you to the Hospital at Home service. This means you could avoid going into hospital in the first place – or return home sooner, while still getting the care you need.
Receiving hospital-equivalent care in your own home can help maintain independence, avoid hospital-related complications and can mean recovery is much quicker.
How the service is provided
Hospital at Home is run by Hertfordshire Community Trust in partnership with professionals from across the East & North Herts Health and Care Partnership.
The multidisciplinary team of clinicians has easy access to advice and care from dieticians, palliative care, the community respiratory team and the Integrated Heart Failure Service.
Once you have been referred to Hospital at Home, you may be visited at home and/or given a remote monitoring kit to monitor your condition.
This kit is supplied by a company called Doccla, who will show you (or a carer, if appropriate) how to use it.
When your treatment ends
You will be assessed by the medical team before being discharged. We will send a discharge summary to your GP explaining what care you have received. You will need to return any monitoring equipment we provide to Doccla.
Who is eligible for the service?
Hospital at Home is currently open to patients with a GP in East and North Hertfordshire who are aged 18 or over.
Referrals can be made by any healthcare professional (including care home staff) who has assessed the patient as suitable for the service.
This list is not exhaustive, but patients with any of the following may be suitable for Hospital at Home:
- Abnormal bloods
- Bowel management
- Cancer
- Cardiac conditions
- Cellulitis
- COVID-19
- Dehydration
- Delirium
- Diabetes/endocrine disorders
- End-of-life care
- Falls
- Frailty
- Heart failure
- Infection
- Musculoskeletal problems
- Mobility
- Pain and symptom control
- Post-operative care
- Renal problems
- Respiratory conditions
- Triage
- Wound care infection
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)
Making a referral
Information for health professionals referring to Hospital at Home
The service is available through referral only. Referrals can be accepted from any healthcare professional who has assessed the patient. There are two options to refer to Hospital at Home:
Option 1
Email a completed referral form to hct.urgentcommunityadult@nhs.net
Option 2
Call the Hospital at Home Integrated Care Coordination Hub on 0300 123 7571
Referral form
Referral criteria
Referrals are accepted 8am-7.30pm, seven days a week. After 7pm referrals may be triaged for assessment the following day.
Inclusion criteria
Patients must be aged 18 years or over and registered with a GP in East and North Hertfordshire.
Exclusion criteria
- Self-referrals
- People under 18 years of age
- Pregnancy
- Patients who can be clinically managed by their own GP or in a Minor Injuries Unit
- Social needs only, where the patient has no healthcare needs.
- Patient is not safe to be managed in the community and needs admission to an acute hospital.
- Patients who are unsafe alone in their property between visits or overnight.
Useful information
Examples of care provided through Hospital at Home
- Remote monitoring using a mobile phone to check weight, oxygen levels, pulse rate, temperature, and blood pressure (kit and instructions for use are provided)
- First dose IV/oral antibiotics to treat acute infections like urinary tract infections (UTIs), cellulitis, chest infections and pneumonia
- Treatment for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Falls, urgent mobility assessments and rapid decline in functional ability
- Point-of-care testing for infections and deep vein thrombosis markers
- Electrocardiogram (ECG) testing – when 999 response not required
- Medication reviews by pharmacists
- End-of-life and specialist palliative care
Contact the service
If you are a patient using the service who needs support, or just have further questions about Hospital at Home, please call the team (8am-8pm, seven days a week) on 0300 123 7571.
If you are a Hospital at Home patient and feel unwell outside of these hours, please call 111.
If it is a life-threatening emergency do not wait, please call 999.
Further information for health professionals can be found in the 'Making a referral' section below.
Patient experience
Juliet (not pictured) had had multiple hospital admissions for treatment of a category 4 pressure ulcer and related wound infections previously, but was able to be treated at home instead.
"I was very pleased to have avoided another hospital admission and felt that staying in my own home helped me to recover quicker and reduced my anxiety. It also meant I was able to maintain my usual routines at home, making everything much easier to continue to manage. You have no idea what a difference this made to me in maintaining my independence."
Patient feedback
We welcome your feedback
If you have compliments or concerns about Hospital at Home you can:
- Call the Hospital at Home team on 0300 123 7571
- You can contact the Patient Experience team/PALS by calling 0800 011 6113/ 01707 388164 or emailing hct.patientexperienceteam@nhs.net
- Fill out the NHS Friends and Family Test (FFT) and tell us what went well or not so well to help us improve the Hospital at Home service.
To access the FFT visit http://ow.ly/lkyh50KY0TO or scan the QR code below:
For more information about these services visit: Patient experience | Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust (hct.nhs.uk)
