This winter local hospitals across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are calling on family and friends to help get their loved ones home for lunch.

Hospitals do all they can to ensure patients can be discharged home before lunchtime. Leaving hospital before midday has significant benefits for the patient and also helps reduce pressures on our hospitals and staff so vital care is given to those most in need.

Family, friends, and carers have a key role to play and are being called upon to help get their loved ones’ home by ensuring they are ready to collect their relative or friend, or arrange transport to pick them up from hospital, alongside preparing their home ready for their return.

Carol Anderson, chief nurse at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough said: “Our priority is to help patients get better and support them to leave hospital when the time is right and it’s safe to do so.

“Family and friends can help us get them home by making sure they can provide or arrange transport home, stocking up their fridge, popping the heating on and making sure their loved one has got everything they need to continue their recovery at home.”

Research shows that a prolonged stay in a hospital bed can have a significant negative impact on someone’s health. For patients over the age of 80, a week in bed can lead to 10 years of muscle ageing. There is also a greater risk of contracting in-ward viruses and infections.

Carol added: “Home is the best place for you to recover. Staying in a hospital bed longer than you need can put you at risk and has a significant negative impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.

“The knock-on effect of delayed discharge of patients also impacts the whole of our local health system. Patients who need be admitted to hospital face longer delays in getting the treatment and care they need, our emergency departments become more congested, we see lengthier ambulance handovers and deteriorating 999 response times.”

Family, friends and carers can help loved ones’ recovery by:

Preparing the home for their return - making sure their house is warm, clean and stocking up on essentials like food, and medicine

Understanding their hospital discharge plans – provide support with medication administration and recovery requirements, including understanding any equipment needed to aid recovery and how to use it

Helping them attend their planned hospital appointments - ensuring loved ones respond to hospital phone calls and attend planned appointments

Offering ongoing support – helping with preparing and cooking meals, offering support to wash and dress, ensuring they are engaging in any community visits and physiotherapy

Using the right health service at the right time – having the details of who to contact with any concerns, such as medication side effects or equipment failure, to support with their ongoing care.