Getting patients seen by community health teams within a day of leaving hospital could slash emergency readmissions and A&E visits, a new study by University of Manchester researchers suggests.
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) funded study found people who received a prompt visit or contact from community health services after discharge were far less likely to end up back in hospital within a month.
The findings offer fresh evidence that early support at home can ease pressure on overstretched hospitals while helping patients recover safely.
Community health teams can help patients manage medication, monitor symptoms, identify complications early and provide reassurance during the vulnerable period immediately after discharge.
Around one in seven NHS patients are readmitted to hospital within 30 days of discharge, are thought to be preventable.
However, the researchers say faster follow-up care at home could help tackle the problem.
Despite community health services providing millions of patient contacts each year, evidence on their impact remains limited - until now.
The study analysed records from 63,019 patients referred to 11 NHS Community Trusts in England after leaving hospital between April and December 2019.
Patients were aged 72 on average, had multiple health conditions, and represented a group at high risk of needing further hospital care.
More than half received support from community health services within one day of discharge.
A further one in five were contacted within two to seven days.
However, more than a quarter had no contact at all within the first month after leaving hospital.
The researchers compared the outcomes of the groups to see whether speed of follow-up made a difference.
Patients contacted within 24 hours had 33 per cent lower odds of attending A&E within 30 days than those who received no support.
They also had 38 per cent lower odds of being readmitted to hospital as an emergency.
Even when contact occurred between two and seven days after discharge, patients had 20 per cent lower odds of attending A&E and 22 per cent lower odds of emergency readmission compared with patients who received no follow-up care.
The research suggests the sooner support is provided, the greater the impact.
Lead author Dr Beth Parkinson, a research fellow from The University of Manchester said: "Our findings show that the period immediately after patients leave hospital is a critical window for preventing avoidable emergency care.
"We found that people who received contact from community health services within one day of discharge were significantly less likely to attend A&E or be readmitted to hospital in the following month.
"While support delivered within a week was still associated with meaningful benefits, the greatest reductions were consistently seen when care was provided within 24 hours.
"These results highlight the important role community health teams play in supporting recovery, improving patient outcomes and reducing pressure on busy hospitals."
She added: "Community health services are central to NHS plans to move more care out of hospitals and into people's homes.
"Faster follow-up after discharge could cut avoidable A&E visits and readmissions for thousands of patients. But delivering these benefits may require extra funding and staff to tackle longstanding workforce shortages in community care services."
