Oxfordshire's health and social care system has reported a successful festive period, with new initiatives easing pressure on services.
At an Oxfordshire Joint Health Overview Scrutiny Committee meeting on Thursday, January 30, senior leaders shared positive results from the Christmas and New Year period.
The county's discharge figures revealed 150 people were supported to return home with additional care during the first week of 2025, thanks to Oxfordshire County Council's discharge to assess programme.
Councillor Tim Bearder, Oxfordshire County Council's cabinet member for adult social care, said: "While most of us take some time off towards the end of the year, our hard-working colleagues in health and social care are supporting people in hospital and community settings, enabling people to live well and as independently as possible.
"To see this continuing to take effect over Christmas and New Year is great news for health and social care partners and even better news for families who are able to start 2025 together."
The past year has seen significant changes in Oxfordshire's health and social care system, with increased partnership working and a greater emphasis on supporting people to access services and live more independently at home.
The discharge to assess programme, which supports people home more quickly after a hospital stay by providing additional home care support before care and financial assessments, has been a key part of this.
The county council is now working with home care organisations to provide more than 34,000 hours of care in people's homes each week, compared to 24,000 hours per week five years ago.
The discharge to assess programme, along with the Transfer of Care Hub, enabled more than 7,000 people to be moved safely out of hospital with additional support during 2024, an increase of 23 per cent compared to the previous year.
Felicity Taylor-Drewe, chief operating officer at Oxford University Hospitals, said: "This achievement is testament to the excellent partnership work across the health and social care system to get people home from hospital as quickly and safely as possible."
However, people are still advised to choose their healthcare services wisely, ensuring urgent and emergency care is kept for those who genuinely need it.
Ms Taylor-Drewe added: "Emergency departments should be for genuine emergencies only.
"If you need medical care that isn’t urgent but are unsure of where to go, NHS 111 can help."
