A service that will help patients to leave hospital sooner is available in Anglesey and Gwynedd.

The Care and Support Service is aimed at patients 18 years old and over and involves the provision of wheelchairs, some transport, befriending and telephone befriending for up to six weeks after discharge.

Project Co-ordinator Helen Williams of the Red Cross who is based at Ysbyty Gwynedd explained that the new Care and Support Service was the first of its kind in Wales.

"We help patients to go home from hospital a day or two sooner by offering transport in our minibuses or volunteer cars, the loan of a wheelchair for up to three months and also we have a bank of volunteers who can do some shopping for basic items such as milk and bread before the patient is discharged" explained Helen.

"Also, our volunteers, who are trained in basic first aid and manual handling, over the six weeks after discharge, will visit the ex-patient in their own homes once or twice a week or as required and offer emotional support, fetch prescriptions, help fill in forms, write letters, keep them company or contact family members."

"After the four or six week period is up, we refer most of the ex-patients to other organisations such as social clubs and voluntary organisations and this is all part of a strategy to reduce readmissions and so far of the 30 plus that hospital staff have referred to us, none have been readmitted."

"The patients that we have dealt with so far have been very surprised that we do not charge for the service and the small number of hospital staff and hospital Social Workers who also refer patients to us have been very professional and we have already started to develop a very sound working relationship with many of them,’ said Helen.

"We are now working towards extending this service to most of the wards in Ysbyty Gwynedd and staff can obtain referral forms or simply get more information about the project by simply contacting me on 01248 364677 up to three o’ clock on weekdays."

   British Red Cross Website