Buckinghamshire NHS Trust praises home support service reducing costs by £3m
A health coordinator in Buckinghamshire has hailed a home support service which is supporting its patients.
Buckinghamshire NHS Trust is one of five regional health bodies using a private service designed to reduce the strain on hospitals and free up beds at facilities.
Other participating trusts are located in Cambridgeshire, North West Anglia, Northampton and Shropshire. ilarna offers support at home for patients and estimates from the company suggest it frees up an average of 100 hospital bed days per month.
It is designed to make sure people who are capable of leaving hospital receive appropriate care after they are discharged. ilarna allows medically-fit individuals to leave hospital in a timely manner while also assuring the patients and their families that they will receive appropriate support going forward.
ilarna says it uses experienced clinical discharge coordinators directly on NHS hospital sites, working alongside ward and discharge teams. “With patient consent, they help identify appropriate home support – often within 24 to 48 hours – supporting people to return home safely while easing pressure on frontline services,” a spokesperson for the company said.
Data released by the health company outlines that it saves each trust an estimated £50,000 per month – equivalent to around £3 million a year across the five trusts.
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust was the first trust to partner with ilarna and has been working with the platform for 15 months. Since November 2024, more than 1,300 hospital bed days have been released, helping patients to return home, with the right support around them.
Helen Griffith, discharge coordinator at Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Since the introduction of ilarna, our privately funded patients and their families have experienced a very positive and reassuring impact. The ilarna team works closely with patients, families, the Discharge Team and ward staff, ensuring people can return home in a timely, safe and stress‑free way.”
Patients and families chose their personal assistants via the ilarna platform based on the level of support required. Assistants log their visits online and reports are sent to the families after each session. ilarna adds that its personal assistants set their own rate, potentially making the personal care system more appealing.