Hospital Discharge Support Service

Staffordshire County Council (SCC) funds Staffordshire and Stoke on Trent Partnership NHS Trust (SSOTP) to deliver adult social care. SSOTP is the UK’s largest provider of community health and adult social care services and is responsible for adult social and community healthcare within Staffordshire and community healthcare in Stoke-on-Trent.

The Council wishes to further augment this provision and invite tenders for the provision of a Hospital Discharge Support Service for the Newcastle District and Moorlands District in Northern Staffordshire to support the work of the SSOTP.

Background: For the majority of patients, being discharged from hospital to home is straightforward. Most are unlikely to need the support of SSOTP, though some may be referred for information and signposting to other support services.

Securing timely and effective hospital discharge is a key concern in local and national social care and health policies and a key feature of policy initiatives such as The NHS Plan, the National Service Framework for Older People, Making our Health and Care Systems Fit for an Ageing Population.

The Service Objective: The objective is to provide a timely and effective Hospital Discharge Support Service for qualifying persons who will be identified through assessment by the SSOTP. This short term intervention will vary in its approach and intensity according to individual needs. It will provide practical support to Qualifying Persons who are being discharged. It will offer encouragement, advice and information to Qualifying Persons to participate in their community in order to promote long term independence and reduce isolation