Five Liberal Democrat MPs whose constituencies are served by the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust have written to the Trust seeking answers over planned changes to its Hospital at Home service.
The service, which allows patients to receive hospital-level care in their own homes, has treated more than 5,000 patients since its launch in 2021. According to figures cited by the MPs, 99.5% of patients would recommend the service.
Bath MP Wera Hobhouse joined Anna Sabine, Roz Savage, Brian Mathew and Sarah Gibson in calling for greater transparency over plans to transfer responsibility for the service to healthcare provider HCRG Care Group.
Hospital at Home currently operates through a partnership between the RUH and HCRG. The existing arrangement is due to end on 30 September after HCRG decided to withdraw funding from the current model.
The MPs say they want to see the clinical, financial and quality evidence behind the proposed changes. They have called for the publication of the business case and Quality Impact Assessment relating to the service.
Staff have reportedly raised concerns about how the changes could affect the service and whether close links with specialist teams at the RUH can be maintained. The MPs have also sought assurances that experienced staff will be retained and that standards of patient care will not be affected.
Wera Hobhouse said: “Patient care must be at the heart of any decision being made. The Hospital at Home programme has been incredibly successful in allowing many people to be cared for at home while easing pressure on limited hospital beds.”
The RUH said the Hospital at Home service transferred to HCRG when the contract for community services went live in April 2025, with the trust continuing to provide virtual beds through a subcontract arrangement that ends on 30 September.
A spokesperson for the RUH said: “We are committed to delivering safe and high-quality care for our patients whether they are in our hospitals or in their own homes. The Hospital at Home service transferred to HCRG in April 2025 when the contract for community services went live. At this time, HCRG subcontracted the RUH to continue to provide virtual ‘beds’ for this service and this subcontract comes to an end on 30th September 2026.
“We will continue to provide Hospital at Home beds to deliver additional capacity for our communities as we go into winter, whilst also continuing to work closely with our colleagues at the ICB and HCRG on the development of the most effective clinical model for the future.”
The MPs said they recognise the funding challenges facing the service but argue that any changes should be fully scrutinised and supported by clear evidence that they will improve outcomes for patients.