Home First team wins two NHS Wales awards

A team of health and care professionals which helps patients in Carmarthenshire to receive the care they need as close to home as possible have been recognised for their innovative work at the 2022 NHS Wales Awards.

Working closely together, Llesiant Delta Wellbeing, Hywel Dda University Health Board and Carmarthenshire County Council have introduced a multi-disciplinary team to provide intermediate care – the care you need after hospital or to avoid admission to hospital.

The team takes a ‘home first’ approach to supporting people through a period of recovery and assessment. In its first 12 weeks of operation, the team helped discharge 179 people home from hospital.

This successful joint working saw the team win not one but two awards – the award for Delivering Person-Centred Services, and also the special award for Outstanding Contribution to Transforming Health and Care.

Delta Wellbeing’s rapid response team – or blue army as they are affectionately known – supports patients to return home from hospital by providing care support for a short period of time until reablement or long-term providers can be found.

Working with Delta’s hospital-based community wellbeing officers, together they ensure patients can be discharged at the earliest opportunity by providing essential support to prevent avoidable hospital admissions, free up hospital bed capacity, release valuable staff time, maintain flow and avoid medically fit patients remaining in hospital for longer.

Officers carry out assessments within the hospital environment, supporting discharge and providing a link to community support provision.

The team also provides an emergency response or bridging service to families who are struggling to care for their loved ones whilst they await further assessments, increases in care provision, or just need additional short-term social care support. If there are any concerns regarding care breakdown, sudden deterioration, crises, or concerns over the level of care required—the 24/7 rapid response team is dispatched to support during this time.

This supports the individual to regain their strength and independence and remain at home for as long as possible to avoid hospital admission.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Social Services Cllr Jane Tremlett said: “I am delighted that the hard work and dedication of our teams have been recognised at this year’s NHS Awards.

“Through partnership work with Hywel Dda University Health Board, our health and social care professionals are fulfilling valuable work in providing short term rehabilitation of patients in their own home to help get them home from hospital more quickly and avoid unnecessary admissions to hospitals and care homes.”

Delta Wellbeing was set up as a Local Authority Trading Company in 2018, owned by Carmarthenshire County Council it uses innovative technology to provide a range of solutions in the health and social care sector supporting older and vulnerable people to live independently in their homes for longer.

Hywel Dda University Health Board’s pharmacy team at Glangwili Hospital also received the award for Enriching the Wellbeing, Capability and Engagement of the Health and Care Workforce, and a partnership project between the health board and the Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) at Withybush Hospital received the Providing Services in Partnership Across NHS Wales award.

Chair of Hywel Dda UHB Maria Battle said: “We are so proud that the incredible efforts and dedication to patient care that our staff show every day, has been recognised at these national awards. It is excellent that two of our awards have been in recognition of the work we do with partners, and the other led from frontline staff empowered to make such a difference to both patients and staff.”

The NHS Wales Awards are organised by Improvement Cymru which is the national improvement service for NHS Wales delivered by Public Health Wales. They were launched in 2008 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the NHS and recognise and promote good practice across Wales.

The awards were sponsored by Life Sciences Hub Wales, C-Stem and Armis, Core to Cloud, Health and Care Research Wales and RCN Wales.

For more information visit nhswalesawards.wales.nhs.uk