The move is part of a £3.6m investment announced by Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB in delivering more services closer to home.

Dr Lorna Clarson, chief medical officer at NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin (NHS STW), said: ‘Importantly, these changes will help people stay independent at home, even during illness or recovery, with extended hours of support available and more personalised, joined-up care from local health and care professionals.  

‘More support will also be in place to ensure patients can leave hospital safely, with the right equipment and support, reducing the risk of re-admission and enabling a smoother recovery.

‘The changes form part of a wider vision to improve patient outcomes and ensure hospital services are available for those who need them most, particularly through the busy winter months.'

Key community based services will include: a single point of access to urgent community-based care; rapid, short-term home care within two hours; safe and well-co-ordinated hospital discharges; early GP assessment to avoid hospital stays; faster access to urgent care at home; and a central co-ordination team supporting safe, timely hospital discharges into the community.

The joined-up programme is a partnership between NHS STW, Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust, The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, local authorities, and primary care partners, including HealthHero Integrated Care, the new provider of GP Out of Hours Services.