HEALTH chiefs say a community health service that provides urgent care for patients at home is proving to be a great success.

They credit the initiative with preventing hundreds of hospital admissions for residents of Trafford over a nine month period.

The Community Enhanced Care (CEC) service, run by Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, can provide urgent care within six hours for patients at risk of a hospital admission, and deliver specialist, enhanced care packages for up to 72 hours in the patient’s own home.

The service includes a range of staff including a dementia nurse, a heart failure specialist nurse, community matrons, occupational therapists and physiotherapists.

It is estimated that between April and December 2014, the service prevented 1,900 admissions, reducing pressure on hospitals and saving an estimated £1.3m.

Carol Baker-Longshaw, Trafford community services director at Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, said: “Not only is this beneficial to the patients, who in many cases can stay at home, it is beneficial to the whole NHS system by deflecting care away from the extremely busy local hospitals.”

Among the people the service has helped so far is 87-year-old David Silver from Hale. David has a number of long-term conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, kidney failure, chronic back pain and problems with his circulation.

David said: “I was in and out of hospital frequently with problems with my chest. I was given medication, which helped, but before long I’d be going back in.

“Now, the community nurses help me to manage my condition at home.

“It’s not just physical care - the nurses also provided emotional support to me and my wife, Sheila, to help us cope.”

Another patient is 71-year-old David Cornwall from Partington.

The grandfather-of-three receives support from Heart Failure Specialist Nurse Sali Thomas, who helps him manage medication for heart failure, refers him for blood tests and provides him with support to manage his enlarged heart.

To find out more about Trafford Community Services, visit www.penninecare.nhs.uk.