Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what his policy is on (a) supporting and (b) increasing the number of patients that are looked after in their own home.

As set out by the National Health Service in their Five Year Forward View, out-of-hospital care needs to become a bigger part of NHS provision, and we recognise that community health services are a key part of achieving this.

When patients have been admitted to hospital and are ready to be discharged, the focus should be on discharging them to their usual place of residence wherever possible. As part of their Better Care Fund plans, all areas are expected to implement the High Impact Change model to support system-wide improvement in discharging patients. This model includes a ‘home first’ approach which supports timely discharge and the delivery of health and care closer to home.

We are also increasing capacity in the community so that more people can receive care in their own homes. To date, the NHS has boosted clinical capacity and capability of NHS 111, which now takes 16 million calls each year, with more than 50% of callers receiving clinical input in April this year. The NHS has also expanded ‘Hear and Treat’ and ‘See and Treat’ ambulance services so that they now cover 3.5 million people, with the provision of telephone advice and treatment of people in their homes saving needless trips to hospital.

We want people to be able to live in their own home for as long as possible. The Department funds the Disabled Facilities Grant to support older and disabled people on low-incomes to adapt their homes to make them suitable for their needs. The Department also provides funding to build specialised housing options - through the Care and Support Specialised Housing Fund – to provide more suitable home environments for older people and those with learning and physical disabilities, and mental ill health.

Housing will be a crucial part of considerations for reform of care and support which we expect to be set out in the Green Paper in autumn 2018. We intend to set out proposals for existing, new, and specialised housing, to ensure people can live in a ‘safe and suitable’ home, for as long as possible.