Community-led hospital discharge service

secures long-term funding

Cheshire Community Action has been awarded £307,000 to continue providing its successful Community Home First service for the next two and a half years.

The service has become an integral part of the local hospital discharge process, and supports people to leave hospital safely and recover at home with ongoing support in their community.

Since launching as a pilot in December 2022, the service has gone on to support more than 4,600 individuals, helping to prevent more than 13,000 overnight hospital stays.

Mark Reading, Chief Executive, Cheshire Community Action, said: “This renewed contract gives us the stability to retain experienced staff and further develop our service, so we can keep making a difference for people leaving hospital across the region.”

The success of the service demonstrates the vital role the local community and voluntary sector play in supporting people’s health and wellbeing.

Community Home First staff are embedded within the Countess of Chester, Leighton, and Ellesmere Port hospitals, and take part in daily discharge meetings to help identify and resolve practical barriers that would otherwise delay discharge.

In 2025, the service supported 2,081 people, which was a 50 per cent increase on the previous year.

An independent assessment valued its social return at £9.39 for every £1 invested that year.

For more information, visit www.cheshireaction.org.uk.