Wigan patients to get more support after leaving hospital

Wigan and Leigh Pensioners’ Link has been awarded the three-year contract for the Home Safe preventative service that will offer support for vulnerable patients.

They will work with partners from Wigan Council and Wrightington Wigan and Leigh NHS Foundation Trust.

Home Safe will provide personal and friendly support during people’s hospital discharge, helping them to settle back home and improve their links to their neighbourhood.

The aim is to reduce pressures on the NHS by supporting people to get home as soon as they are well enough to do so and prevent avoidable readmissions.

Through the Deal for Adult Social Care the authority wants the service to enable people to live healthy, happier lives in their own home.

Paul Roughley, manager at Wigan and Leigh Pensioners’ Link, said: “We have been supporting the elderly residents of Wigan borough for the last 30 years.

“This new service is an extension to what we do, which strengthens our partnership with Wigan Council and WWL Trust for the benefit of the borough’s residents.

“Every patient we have supported to return home so far has been very appreciative of the service and so grateful for the ongoing support we offer.”

Joanne Willmott, council assistant director for provider management, said: “It is recognised that a good experience of discharge supports longer term recovery, rehabilitation and help people to reconnect with their community.

“This new service is an ideal opportunity to find out about people’s assets and start the process of reconnecting them with their community.”

Pauline Law, executive director of nursing at Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh NHS Trust, said: “I am really delighted to be able to offer the Home Safe Service to WWL patients. It is of huge benefit to some of our most vulnerable patients as it supports their safe and timely discharge and helps them to settle back into their own home following a spell in hospital.

“Some patients can lose their independence very quickly whilst they are in hospital so it is extremely important to ensure that we have services such as these in place to enable that safe early discharge. We are very grateful to be working with the Home Safe Service and I know that our patients and their relatives and carers will find the service exercise useful and

reassuring during times when they are feeling most vulnerable."