More care delivered in the community may reduce overall health costs

‘Community nursing interventions, when well planned and coordinated, reduce unnecessary hospital admissions, shorten length of inpatient stay, promote self-care and resilience in our communities, and prevent ill health occurring in the first place’ (Royal College of Nursing, 2010). If these premises hold true, then the cost per patient of healthcare could reduce as more care shifts into the community. However, this depends on the extent of current unmet need: more staff contacts with patients in their homes could lead to a greater volume of care provided at the same or greater overall cost.

Some of the information in this section is provided by stakeholders and expert groups, and does not necessarily represent the views of the CfWI.