NHS Borders is set to benefit from the largest slice of Scottish Government funding to continue the development of its 'Hospital at Home' scheme.

The initiative allows patients to be cared for at their home and was launched as a pilot in the area in 2023.

Now the region's health board has been allocated £600,000 from a £3.6 million government cash pot.

Health secretary Neil Gray said: “I am very pleased to see the progress that local health providers are making on delivering Hospital at Home services and the positive impact it is having, particularly on elderly patients.

“Hospital at Home allows patients to receive acute treatment in an environment that they feel comfortable and familiar with.

“There are more Hospital at Home beds for older people available and an increasing number of patients are choosing to use the service.

“Hospital at Home gives people greater independence during their recovery. Evidence shows that those benefitting from the service are more likely to avoid hospital or care home stays for up to six months after an acute illness.

“It is also one of a range of measures that we have put in place to tackle delayed discharge numbers and free up beds within our hospitals.”

The virtual ward model monitors patients in their house, with regular clinical follow-up and access to specialist advice.

The number of patients using Hospital at Home in Scotland rose by almost a quarter last year, according to the Scottish Government.

More than 14,000 older patients used the service across the country in 2023/24.

A new report from Healthcare Improvement Scotland estimated that £14.9 million was saved in 'traditional hospital admission costs', with a further estimated £36.3 million saved in post-hospital care due to a reduction in re-admissions.

Belinda Robertson, associate director of Improvement, Healthcare Improvement Scotland, said: “We know that patients benefit from receiving safe, patient-centred care in the comfort of their own home whilst continuing to benefit from the support they are used to from families, friends and carers.

“Our latest annual report for Hospital at Home across Scotland shows that more and more NHS boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships are providing acute hospital care to people in their own homes.

“Four new services for people living in and around Dumfries, Galashiels, Lerwick and Oban have been established in the last year, and Hospital at Home services across the country have prevented over 14,467 people spending time in hospital.

“We would like to commend the Hospital at Home services for the fantastic work they’ve done to establish and grow their services. In the year ahead, we look forward to continuing to support NHS boards and partnerships to further develop the services they provide, and to share learning across all Hospital at Home services.”

NHS Borders' £600,000 allocation is comfortably the largest, with the next biggest award, £400,000, given to NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Two further applications have yet to be finalised.