A ‘hospital at home’ service run by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been expanded, enabling more frail patients aged over 65 to receive hospital‑level care in the comfort of their own homes.
The enhanced service is designed to reduce unnecessary hospital admissions by providing care that would traditionally require an inpatient stay, while maintaining the same clinical standards and specialist oversight.
Under the expanded scheme, eligible patients receive a wide range of acute hospital treatments at home, including intravenous therapy, blood tests, and electrocardiogram monitoring.
Patients are cared for by a multidisciplinary team of specialist hospital staff, including:
- Consultant physicians
- Advanced clinical practitioners
- Pharmacists
- Nurses and healthcare assistants
- Therapists and other specialist professionals
This team‑based approach ensures patients receive safe, coordinated and high‑quality care, tailored to their individual needs.
The service focuses on frail older people who may otherwise face prolonged hospital stays, which can increase the risk of deconditioning, falls and loss of independence.
By delivering care at home, the model supports patients to recover in familiar surroundings, while also easing pressure on busy hospital wards and emergency departments.
Patients receiving hospital‑at‑home care can also be fast‑tracked for complex diagnostic investigations, such as CT scans, when required.
These investigations are carried out as day‑case appointments, removing the need for hospital admission or an overnight stay and allowing patients to return home the same day.
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT’s Deputy Medical Director, Sarah Jenkins, said:
“We are delighted that our ‘Hospital at Home’ service is supporting more patients to stay healthy in the comfort of their own homes when it is safe to do so. The initiative also strengthens the renewed focus on shifting care to the community and builds on research that shows elderly patients recover more quickly and effectively in familiar environments. Staying at home will also reduce travel burden for patients, families and carers, saving time and cost, whilst also freeing up beds for other patients who do need to be in hospital.”
The expansion of the hospital‑at‑home service reflects a growing shift across the NHS towards care closer to home, particularly for older people with complex needs. By combining specialist hospital expertise with community‑based delivery, the service aims to:
- Improve patient experience and comfort
- Maintain clinical safety and quality
- Reduce pressures on hospital capacity
- Support more efficient use of NHS resources
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said the expanded service represents an important step in delivering modern, patient‑centred care for frail older people.
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