Ward-led Enablement now being piloted in Mid and South Essex NHS Trust Hospitals

The Ward-led Enablement programme delivered by ECL, gets older hospital patients up and moving around as soon as possible after their treatment to help improve their recovery time.

The scheme launched at Colchester hospital in October 2022 and its first three months it has reduced the average length of hospital stay per patient by three days, a 42% improvement.

This success has attracted interest from the Mid and South Essex NHS Trust, and the service is now being piloted in Basildon, Broomfield and Southend Hospitals.

Daniel Turner, Interim Deputy Director for Integrated Care at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The aim of this pilot is to bring a community reablement mindset and capacity into the hospitals to help people go home empowered and able to do as much as they can. We were impressed by the results in our neighbouring NHS Trust and felt that it has the potential to be as successful in Mid and South Essex as it has been for our colleagues in the North. So far it has been well received by patients and hospital staff, and initial feedback is very positive. Overall, the patients have been very receptive to the carers’ support and our busy ward staff have appreciated the extra resource.”

Charlene Adutwim, ECL Reablement Mid and South Essex Regional Business Manager said: “Research has shown that bed rest is not the best way to recover from many illnesses and injuries. Immobility can actually increase recovery times and yet most reablement support is provided at home after patients have been discharged from hospital.

“Commissioned jointly through the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board, local authorities and health partners, this service is designed to help ward staff to support patients to be as independent as possible during their hospital stay. For example, encouraging them to be mobile, up and out of bed, washing and dressing themselves. This improves patient recovery times and maximises their independence, reducing the likelihood of extended stays, and the need for ongoing home care following discharge. We hope that this helps to ease the pressures on our hospitals and our social care system.”

One of the programme’s success stories is eighty year old Roy who was admitted to hospital following the sudden loss of feeling and control of his legs. Roy made a remarkable recovery thanks to the fact this reablement care started while in hospital rather than once he was discharged. Roy spent 64 days in hospital and during this time, the ECL reablement team worked with him to regain his mobility so that when returned home we was already more mobile and able to be more independent.

Roy says: “I thought the service was incredible. I really feel like I have a new lease of life thanks to the ECL team. When I was moved from the stroke ward, I still wasn’t able to walk. The ECL ladies changed that! They spoke with the therapy team and requested that I try and walk with them so that we all knew what I could do before going home. Because of the work we did on the ward, I found the transition home to be very good. I don’t know where I would be now if they hadn’t helped me while I was on the ward.”

ECL’s reablement service provides customers with the short-term support they need to regain confidence and independence in their own home following a spell of ill health, surgery or an accident.

For more information about ECL’s care while in hospital visit ecl.org/services/care-in-hospital

For more information about ECL’s reablement services visit ecl.org/services/reablement