Scotland's Health Awards 2025: The NHS staff delivering life-changing hospital care at home

The Hospital at Home team at NHS Forth Valley has been running since 2021 and gives frail and elderly patients the opportunity to receive acute hospital level care in a place they feel comfortable.

The team’s at-home services offer everything that patients would get access to in a hospital, including intravenous (IV) fluids, oxygen treatment, blood monitoring and occupational therapy.

But for lead advanced nurse practitioner Louise Kirby, 42, from West Lothian, the service goes beyond the care that can be offered in a traditional hospital setting.

“For me, out of my whole nursing career, Hospital at Home is the service where patient-centred care is the most apparent,” she said.

“You might only be with the patient once a day, but in that time you’re undistracted and they get one-to-one attention. It becomes a partnership instead of just a delivery of something, and allows patients to be more involved in the decision-making.”

“It also makes things easier for their family and reduces the risk of institutionalisation and decline that can come with being in hospital for a long time.”

Such is the Hospital at Home’s positive impact on patients, the group has been nominated for the top team award at this year’s Scotland’s Health Awards, hosted by The Scotsman in partnership with the Scottish Government.

Ms Kirby said treating patients at home encouraged a more holistic approach and helped staff provide care on a more human level.

“Sometimes we go in and the person doesn’t have any food,” she said. “So we’ll go out and get them some food. Or if someone’s thirsty, we’ll make them a cup of tea.

“The team really goes above and beyond. For example, if someone's been unwell and is struggling to feed their pet, we’ll go ahead and feed their pet as part of the holistic care we offer.”

A total of 3,754 patients have benefited since the Hospital at Home service was set up four years ago.

The team’s responsiveness means eligible patients receive care quickly after being referred.

Ms Kirby said: “After being referred by a GP, somebody can be there within two hours and have had a full clinical assessment within four hours.”

In comparison, she said patients going down the hospital route might wait up to 12 hours to start treatment.

The team regularly receives positive feedback from service users. One review on the independent feedback website Care Opinion said: “We couldn’t have asked for a more caring and supportive team.

“Over the weeks that followed my husband's hospital admission, multiple nurses, consultants and occupational therapists came to check up on my husband almost daily and we couldn’t have asked for more.”

Another patient said: “The nurses were so kind, caring and knowledgeable. They had all the equipment to hand. I couldn’t believe I was getting this care. It was wonderful and put me at my ease. In hospital I’m permanently anxious.”

The top team award at Scotland’s Health Awards 2025 recognises a team who strives to deliver the best possible quality of health and care for people in Scotland. The award aims to recognise the excellent quality of care and service delivery associated with any NHS service area, anywhere in the country.

Mr Kirby said of her team: “They all really believe that people should have the choice to be at home if that’s what they want. Recognising all the hard work would mean a lot for the staff.”

Nominations for this year’s Scotland’s Health Awards close on Sunday, August 17. The awards ceremony and gala dinner will be held at the Edinburgh Corn Exchange on Thursday, November 6.

Nominations can be submitted online at scotlandshealthawards.co.uk.