A combination of insurance and social media could ‘assist with unblocking hospital beds and ease the burden on the NHS', Allianz Global Assistance has said.
A study from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed thatthe UK has the second lowest number of hospital beds per capita among 23 European nations.
Phil Carr, head of corporate business development at Allianz Global Assistance in the UK said:"The new figures show that, in the UK, there are 2.95 beds per 1,000 people in the UK, compared with 6.37 in France, 7.65 in Austria and 8.27 in Germany.
"However, by providing a ‘cyber community' that brings together support for individuals, carers and professionals, in parallel with insured home care, the burden on NHS resources and beds could be reduced."
Responding to this need, Allianz Global Assistance UK has forged a partnership with social media platform, Yecco.
They jointly created Yecco Care at Home, an insurance offering that ensures that personal care, domestic help and transportation are all part and parcel of a ‘one-stop-shop'. This takes away uncertainty and "complete reliance" on local authorities, families and care-givers, for patients leaving hospital, the insurer said.
Carr concluded: "By helping people back into their homes and giving them access to the support they need, we can help reduce the pressure on NHS beds - a solution that can't afford to be ignored by those driving UK healthcare reform.
"With access via PCs, tablets or mobile devices, these services provide everything from reminders about hospital appointments and medication doses, to alerts that a carer is on their way, and messaging platforms that enable patients and their carers to chat instantly."
