The Scottish Government has announced it will be investing £330,000 in Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to grow its hospital discharge services
A charity is set to play a vital role in supporting those with lung problems.
The Scottish Government has announced it will be investing £330,000 in Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland to grow its hospital discharge and community services for people with lung conditions – including those affected by coronavirus.
The service will complement NHS community teams by providing one to one support for patients in their homes over the phone and video-conferencing.
The funding will ensure the charity’s nurses and rehabilitation teams can expand digitally to meet the need for help. The funding will also see 400 of the charity’s volunteers equipped to enable them to provide vital one-to-one support to people to stay well at home.
The initiative will:
• Help NHS clinicians support people with lung conditions to make the transition from hospital to home.
• Help reduce NHS pressures by supporting people with long-term conditions like COPD to stay well at home with advice and ways to manage their condition.
The charity provides intensive one to one support for stroke survivors and their networks of 140 peer support groups and nurse-led advice line care for people with chest, heart and stroke conditions right across the country.
The innovative digital support model for lung patients has recently become available in NHS Lothian and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The charity is in discussions with other health boards and is urging all others to partner with them so they can roll out nationwide.
The service will also be open to calls from the public who may be looking for advice on staying well with a lung condition. They are advised to call freephone 0808 801 0899.
The charity estimates that 48,000 people could be helped through their Hospital to Home discharge and ongoing community support model in a year.
Jeane Freeman MSP, cabinet secretary for health and sport, said: “With this investment we are harnessing the power of our NHS, charities and our amazing volunteers to fight Covid-19.
“Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland’s work in helping people get back home from hospital and live well is so important and we need their vital work more than ever.
“I want to make sure that the whole of Scotland can benefit from this approach and I expect health boards to make the most of the opportunities a partnership like this offers.”
Jane-Claire Judson, chief executive at Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland, said: “We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with our NHS heroes in Scotland's fight against coronavirus.
“This is the biggest challenge our society has faced in a generation. By working together, we are helping our doctors and nurses, but most importantly helping people live well with a lung condition.
“This service will help people with serious lung conditions like COPD or Covid-19 get the support they need with the longer-term effects on their physical and mental health – and help reduce pressures on the NHS by helping them live well at home.
“With a strong partnership approach, we believe we could help 48,000 people this year through services like this one.
“Together we can make sure that no one in Scotland fights this virus alone.”
