Robinson calls for expansion of ‘absolutely wonderful’ Hospital at Home service after close relative suffers flu

DUP MLA Alan Robinson has spoken of how a close relative was kept out of hospital after contracting flu this winter thanks to the ‘absolutely wonderful’ support they received through the Hospital at Home care service in the Western Trust.

"I have a couple of family members, close relatives, who picked up the respiratory virus that is doing the rounds at the minute. The two of them were very unwell. Both are in the Western Trust area.

“One received the Hospital at Home care, and I have to say that it was absolutely wonderful. Two nurses attended, one in the morning and one at night, and those nurses are still tending to that relative. That has kept my relative out of hospital,” said the East Derry MLA.

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The ‘Hospital at Home’ service for the elderly population in the Western Trust was developed in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DUP MLA Alan Robinson has spoken of how a close relative was kept out of hospital after contracting flu this winter thanks to the ‘absolutely wonderful’ support they received through the Hospital at Home care service in the Western Trust.DUP MLA Alan Robinson has spoken of how a close relative was kept out of hospital after contracting flu this winter thanks to the ‘absolutely wonderful’ support they received through the Hospital at Home care service in the Western Trust.
DUP MLA Alan Robinson has spoken of how a close relative was kept out of hospital after contracting flu this winter thanks to the ‘absolutely wonderful’ support they received through the Hospital at Home care service in the Western Trust.

Mr. Robinson said that in the case of his loved ones it had ‘broken one element of the flu chain’.

Speaking during a briefing of the Stormont Health Committee Mr. Robinson said he was disappointed there is no capacity to expand the ‘Hospital at Home’ service.

“I am convinced that, had my relative not received the Hospital at Home care, they would have been in hospital. They already had underlying issues and were fearful of going into hospital, so they were helped not only physically but psychologically.

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"I am very grateful to the Western Trust and the GP service in the Limavady area that provided that service. I am convinced that, potentially, they saved that person's life,” said Mr. Robinson.

Mr. Nesbitt said the expansion of the service was limited by budget constraints.

"If you want to expand that workforce — I would love to — you need the money to do it, and the money does not exist. I will continue, during my entire tenure as Minister of Health, to try to find that money from existing budgets and resources.

"As I said, Jennifer and her colleagues have done amazing work to achieve more than £200 million worth of savings. Those were not £200 million worth of savings so that we could expand services; that was so that we could contract services to live within budget,” the Health Minister said.

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