A PLEA has been made to extend a pioneering ‘Hospital at Home’ scheme currently only operating in the central Borders.

Almost 200 people have been supported with intervention at home rather than in hospital since NHS Borders launched the project in April this year.

The scheme provides hospital-level assessment and intervention for acute conditions that would normally require hospital admission.

The team provides services such as intravenous antibiotics and blood monitoring, also providing oxygen support, X-rays and scans.

The majority referred to the service are older adult patients with a degree to frailty.

The scheme is operating in the central Borders at the moment – including Galashiels, Selkirk, Clovenfords, Lauder and Earlston.

But the aim is to extend it to Kelso, Duns and into Hawick, Kathy Steward, of NHS Borders, told members of the council’s Safer Communities Board.

She said: “The person needs to be able to manage with just one or two visits a day and obviously the family and patients have to be in agreement that they are going to come under the service.

“We only have about eight beds open at the moment but we hope that in the new year that will increase up to about ten but the numbers are never going to be that high because there are so many factors involved for people being suitable for care at home, but we hope to get up to 20 eventually.

“We’re aware that the further you get away from the acute hospital the more interested in this service you might be.”

Conditions treated under the scheme include infections, delirium and falls due to acute illness but it is not suitable for such conditions as strokes or acute asthma.

Councillor Julie Pirone said: “This is obviously going to make a huge difference to older people who need to be seen but who can’t wait in A&E, which also takes the pressure off A&E.

“Selfishly I’m interested in what the plans are to roll it out across the Borders because I’m at the other side, in Peebles, and I know that is an issue raised with me regularly about people travelling to the hospital and the distance, particularly in the winter months, and my plea would be to please look to extend it.”