Welsh Government announces £10m home care package

The Welsh Government has announced a £10m fund to support home care packages for patients recovering from coronavirus.

The aim of the fund is to limit unnecessary time in hospital for patients recovering from the disease, and help prevent readmissions and new admissions.

The funding will be available through Regional Partnership Boards that bring together health boards, local government and the third sector, the funding will be used to build upon or extend already established models of integrated care.

The £10m is in addition to £40m in support – announced earlier this month – which is available to local authorities to meet the additional costs for providers of adult social care.

‘Our health and social care services and organisations are absolutely key in getting those who have recovered from Covid-19 back to where they should be – home,’ said Welsh health and social services minister, Vaughan Gething.

‘This funding will ensure that when they leave hospital, they are fully supported in a way which is right for individual needs. This is paramount.

‘Across Wales there has been a clear and integrated collaborative approach; from point of admission, to enhancing community capacity, to optimising flow to free-up essential hospital capacity. The funding will ensure this continues as Covid-19 patients continue to recover and are released from hospital.’

‘I want to personally thank our health and social care workforce for their fantastic efforts in these challenging times, for protecting and supporting our nation,’ added the minister.

The £10m fund will specifically go towards:

• the expansion of discharge from hospital schemes
• additional capacity within the community to care for people discharged from hospital
• maximising patients’ independence post Covid-19, including the purchasing of equipment for their home
• enhanced community-based services to reduce pressure on primary and secondary carePhoto Credit – Juliaavisphillips (Pixabay)