Abstract
Background: Most intermediate care is provided at home, but some people receive ‘step up’ or ‘step down’ intermediate care in dedicated beds in community hospitals or care homes. Rehabilitation is a core function of the contemporary community hospital which offers a slower-paced and more homely setting than acute hospitals and an environment that is conducive to recovery and reconnecting with family. This workshop, a collaboration between the UK Community Hospitals Association and IFICs Intermediate Care SIG, introduces a new international network on community hospitals (CH), building on a ‘soft launch’ international webinar in November 2024.
Audience: The interactive workshop will be of interest to policy makers, researchers, advocates, patients, carers and professionals who plan, commission, fund, provide or regulate care and support services for older people or adults who require rehabilitation. Participation by practitioners, managers, patients and caregivers will provide diverse insights into the unique role that community hospitals offer in urban and in rural systems.
Approach:
Introduction to the workshop (5 minutes)
Chair outlines the collaborative work to date by SIG members and welcomes the new CH network.
Presentations (45 minutes)
Three speakers describe the policy and practice context for CH in the UK, Catalunya and Malta.
The UK Community Hospitals Association will share evidence from their work with University of Birmingham which demonstrates how much patients value community hospitals and how well embedded these hospitals are within their communities, connecting with many voluntary groups and community organisations. Innovation and good practice examples will be shared and opportunities for delegates to connect with online resources.
Catalunya is reviewing its regional policy to expand intermediate care, building on a strong research foundation in Barcelona. The presentation will compare community hospitals in urban and rural areas, consider how to plan the required intermediate care capacity for population need and discuss the balance between bed based and community based capacity.
Malta is developing integrated care for older persons with frailty through a Transforming Together programme. One new initiative is a dedicated intermediate care unit, co-located at St Vincent de Paul long term care facility, initially targeting patients from care homes as an alternative to emergency admission to acute hospital. The presentation will describe the planning and workforce development to introduce this service, patient and carer experience and outcomes, and describe a novel Rehab decision support tool to help direct flow in future.
Interactive discussion (40 minutes)
Delegates will be invited to share policy and practice examples and patient / carer experience from CH in their context. They will be encouraged to identify gaps in knowledge that may be addressed by the SIG over the next year. Feedback of key points and actions from the groups
Outcomes: The session will conclude with take home messages and agreed actions for the SIG and network to take forward over the next year. A flash report will be circulated after the conference.