RCHT partners with Inclusion Matters to help support patients with the cost of living

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Earlier this year, the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust created and took part in a local Warm Home Prescription scheme. This independent pilot scheme, part of a wider national initiative, introduced by Roz Davies, General Manager, works to help vulnerable people with cold-sensitive health conditions who are struggling with the cost of living to keep out of hospital, and to stay warm and well at home. 

This innovative new service aims to contribute towards both Adult Social Care and the Sustainable Healthcare Green Plan by preventing the need for potential further healthcare input.

“Thousands of people in Cornwall have health conditions that are made worse by living in a cold home,” explains Rhiannon Matthews, Operational Sustainability Officer for RCHT. “These conditions can include things like respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses; the complications of which can become worse during the winter months.”

“We know that prevention can be as effective as treatment” Rhiannon continues. “Certainly, it’s better for the patient if we can prevent them from becoming ill, but if we can make it easier for vulnerable patients to take care of their heating costs, then we can also reduce the pressure on frontline colleagues as well.”

In delivering the Warm Home Prescription pilot, the RCHT worked with Inclusion Matters.

“Inclusion Matters had a small pot of funding available that we were able to use for patients that had conditions that were secondary or related to a lack of heating in their homes,” Rhiannon explains.  “Together we created a simple referral form that we made available to the nursing teams who could ‘prescribe’ heating to patients they felt met the criteria.  Upon referral, Rose from Inclusion Matters contacted the patients to see where they were struggling, and from this, was able to deposit funds directly into the patient accounts to provide almost immediate assistance.”

Hospital Discharge Inclusion Officer Rose Foxwell adds: “My role, and the role of Inclusion Matters, is primarily to work with individuals to help design an action plan.  This action plan can be used to help support social and practical needs after an individual leaves hospital.  With our trained volunteers we can help provide telephone welfare calls for up to six weeks, identify safety concerns in the home, provide information to keep people warm, support with transport options, signpost to information and advice on finances, including welfare entitlements and also arrange for someone to call round for a chat.”

The Inclusion Matters project is currently running until Oct 2023, with a potential for the contract to be extended by another year.  This is a commissioned service from Adult Social Care as part of the Prevention agenda.  The main aim is to support individuals to become more socially included in the community, which can be delivered in various ways.

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