Avoided state costs £3,262 – £5,776 £2,514 Outcome Prevented ambulance call out and Mr Bradley unnecessary hospital admission Assumption One ambulance transfer and inpatient hospital stay (average length) Mr Bradley was referred to the nurse, linking him into a local Impact of our support Mr Bradley, 50, lives British Red Cross as he could not befriending service, and organising cope alone and particularly needed a meeting with the Citizens Advice alone, suffers from help with paperwork, which he was Bureau, who helped him get in touch 2 finding overwhelming. with a solicitor to discuss his house Providing practical and emotional cent of the total NHS budget . The agoraphobia and and children. We were also support to Mr Bradley saved the annual cost of treating diabetes and 3 depression, and is From an initial visit to Mr Bradley, able to organise support for Mr Bradley state money in two ways: complications is £2,944 per person. we found that he was extremely from Age UK. Complications with the condition type one diabetic. depressed and lonely. He was account for around 35 per cent of 4 His relationship with not eating or drinking much, often After a period of intensive support, We prevented Mr Bradley’s this (or £1,035) . It is possible that going for days with no food. This we continued to visit Mr Bradley depression worsening without our intervention this would his long-term partner was particularly concerning given and help him set up longer-term Ongoing and worsening depression have led to a hospital admission, his diabetes and regular insulin solutions. He now has a befriending including ambulance transfer (£1805) recently broke down, can increase the likelihood of a 6 injections. He was also very worried volunteer, a counsellor, regular suicide attempt or a long recovery and inpatient stay (£2,334 ). and he has had no about his finances as his ex-partner appointments with the diabetic period. It is likely that without our £1,035 £3,262 contact with her or his had dealt with money issues. nurse and better control of his health support Mr Bradley’s depression Overall, the support we We visited Mr Bradley once a day and personal care. He also has would have worsened, to the extent delivered to Mr Bradley Outcome three children since. and offered practical and emotional a better outlook on life and feels he would have required some at- Prevented diabetic He has no other family support to help him get back on he has the support to cope with home medical assessment and care. represents total avoided complication his feet. We helped him with his day-to-day life and start regaining costs to the state of Assumption and only one close paperwork, and in the course of this his independence. It is likely Mr Bradley would have between £3,262 and £5,776. Cost of treating required a residential GP visit to diabetic complication friend in the area. support we discovered he had bank Our support allowed (35 per cent of total accounts in his name that he was assess his mental health, and cost) for one year unaware of, and that his ex-partner Mr Bradley to start would have then needed support £2,227 had taken both his passport and regaining his from social services home care. A Outcome birth certificate with her. residential GP visit costs, on average, Prevented GP visit independence and £121 and home care support for and home care support We alerted the safeguarding rebuilding his confidence service users with mental health 1. PSSRU (2011), Unit costs of health and Assumption 1 social care 2011, The University of Kent officer to Mr Bradley’s financial while learning new ways problems costs £162 per week . It is One GP visit and concerns. We helped him fill out likely that social care support would publications. £21 represents the cost of a home care support to cope. community nurse, per visit (pages 106-108, for 13 weeks forms to declare his passport and be needed weekly for three months taken from: Community Care Packages for birth certificate as lost or stolen (13 weeks) at a cost of £2,227. Older People). We assume this is a low bound He said the support he received figure representing the fact that Mr Bradley was and helped him complete and send from the British Red Cross gave him unable to cope with daily necessities himself, his benefits forms. We also fed e.g. food preparation. back to Mr Bradley’s GP our fantastic emotional support at his We prevented Mr Bradley’s 2. Diabetes in the UK (2004), a report from lowest point and helped him to Diabetes UK available at www.diabetes.org. concerns about his diet, and diabetes worsening and causing uk/Professionals/Publications-reports-and- organised regular deliveries of start taking back control of his life. complications resources/Reports-statistics-and-case-studies/ Reports/Diabetes_in_the_UK_2004/ prepared meals to ensure that he Mr Bradley was not providing for 3. Ibid. would be eating properly. 4. Ibid. his own basic needs, which could 5. National Audit Office (2011), Transforming the NHS We then put Mr Bradley in touch with have had very harmful effects ambulance services: presentation to the House of Commons. www.connectingforhealth.nhs.uk/ various other forms of help, including alongside his diabetic condition. systemsandservices/pathways/news/fullreport. arranging a visit from his diabetic The cost of treating diabetes and pdf. The unit cost for ambulance services ranges from £144 to £216, i.e. a mean unit cost for this is its associated complications is £180 per call. significant, comprising around 5 per 6. PSSRU (2011). Projected savings Potential additional savings 2 3