City council to review hospital discharge service

A decision on the future of a hospital discharge support service will be made on 10 February, a council said.

Peterborough City Council's cabinet members will meet to decide whether to approve a new contract with The British Red Cross Society to continue operating the service at Peterborough City Hospital.

The service was started in 2017 and supports patients during the transition from hospital to home or a care setting.

Micheil Wilson, the council's commissioning manager who authored a report on the service, recommended it be recommissioned after it was judged to be "valuable and impactful" in reducing pressure on hospital services and preventing avoidable readmissions.

The service offers up to six weeks of support for patients, which can include transport home, welfare check-ins, help with prescriptions and shopping, delivery of small equipment and mobility aids, and referrals to local voluntary services.

The current contract was awarded to The British Red Cross Society in 2023 and is due to end on 30 April.

Wilson said the service was "essential for reducing pressure on hospital resources and helping to prevent readmissions".

He added that it adopted a reablement approach, supporting people to regain independence and confidence following discharge.

The new proposed contract would have a maximum value of £740,209, equivalent to about £148,041 per year, and would run from May 2026 to April 2029, with options to extend annually until 2031.

The report, which would be put forward to the cabinet members at the meeting, stated the service could help prevent costly readmissions, with estimated annual savings of between £189,750 and £356,250, while also freeing up hospital beds.

Most referrals to the service between November 2024 and November 2025 were for patients aged 75 and over.

The meeting will take place at the council's Fletton Quays office, the authority said.

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