Fothergill Ward in the East Ham Care Centre in Newham has operated as an ‘intermediate care’ ward, which has meant that some patients would stay on the ward after leaving hospital, but before returning home or while awaiting a longer-term placement.
However, how patients are discharged from hospital – particularly for those who are receiving end of life care – has changed over the years. Improvements to community-based support and care packages have enabled more patients to return directly home following hospital treatment.
Health services in Newham have developed a number of discharge pathways which aim to support people coming out of hospital whatever stage they are at in their recovery.
Depending on the level of need, home care staff can visit several times a day to help someone settle back and return to their usual activities. These support packages may be short-term, to aid recovery and regain independence, or longer-term where required.
Additionally, all end-of-life care now takes place either at home supported by community services and our end-of-life care teams, or in a nursing home or hospice.
Research shows that individuals recover more effectively when discharged to their usual place of residence with appropriate care and support in place. The evidence indicates that it is better for their recovery and independence for patients to go directly home with a package of support.
This home-first model aligns with the Government’s 10-Year Health Plan, which emphasises a shift from hospital-based care to community-based care. The Trust has been working closely with partners in Newham and Tower Hamlets to strengthen discharge planning and ensure a smooth and seamless transition from hospital to home.
The Trust carried out a consultation with staff. All consultation feedback has now been reviewed and considered alongside feedback received from individual staff members, system partners, patient representatives, the Equality Impact Assessment, Quality Impact Assessment and workforce impact assessments. We are grateful to all those who took the time to give us feedback.
The Trust will now focus on moving staff into new community-based roles and offering alternative employment within ELFT.
The ward will stop accepting referrals from 31st August 2026. Our focus will be on putting in place care packages to enable our last patients to be discharged home and facilitating any onward care for planned longer term bedded residency.
Going forward, patients who are ready to be discharged home from hospital will be assigned one of our three established discharge pathways according to their care needs. This will enable them to return home sooner with a support package in place.