Intermediate Care

Intermediate Care describes a wide range of services which focus on prevention, rehabilitation, reablement and recovery. They can help to stop unnecessary admissions to hospital and help ensure a timely discharge following a hospital stay.

Maximising Recovery, Promoting Independence: An Intermediate Care Framework for Scotland

The Intermediate Care Framework was published in July 2012 and aims to encourage the development of these services in Scotland. The Framework defines Intermediate Care as follows:

“The function of Intermediate Care is to integrate, link and provide a transition (bridge) between locations, between different sectors and between different states”

What is Intermediate Care?

Intermediate care is a collection of services aimed at helping people stay in their own home, or care home instead of going into hospital, or that help people get home after a hospital stay.

They are provided by teams of professionals that may include nurses, occupational therapists, care assistants and others. Depending on the person’s needs Intermediate Care can be provided for a few days, or several weeks.

Services include:

• Reablement (provided at home or within a care home or community hospital setting)
• Virtual wards, or hospital at home services
• Rapid response community teams
• Enhanced supported discharge, etc.

A public information leaflet , providing further information, is available to download.

What's JIT currently doing to support Intermediate Care services?

We’re currently involved in a range of work to support the development of Intermediate Care services across Scotland. There is a growing network of partnerships developing intermediate care and the JIT intermediate Care Learning network is available for sharing experience and knowledge. The Learning Network welcome new members and submission of reports, papers, links or other details that any partnership in Scotland wishes to share. You can also find out more about our publications and other useful information here . Alternatively you can contact us .

Intermediate Care Demonstrators

In 2008 the JIT funded five Intermediate Care demonstrator projects across Scotland. You can download publications reporting on the outcomes of the Perth and Kinross , Fife , and Orkney projects.