New Partnership Announcement – Autumna & WiFi SPARK

WiFi SPARK is excited to announce a partnership with Autumna that, through a new app on its SPARK® Media patient engagement platform, will give visitors in 73% of all hospitals across the UK a quick and easy way to find available care.

Launched on August 1^st 2023, the partnership provides a seamless integration with Autumna’s database of over 26,000 elder care providers across the UK and will enable families to request a shortlist of providers, filtered by location, price and care services offered.

“21% of our enquiries already come from people sitting in a hospital bed waiting to be discharged,” explains Debbie Harris, the founder of Autumna. “Each night they spend in that bed costs the NHS £400 and it’s not unusual for us to speak to people who have been waiting to be discharged for 30 days or more.”

Access to available and appropriate care can reduce repeated visits to hospital and the likelihood of needing an overnight stay.

Even when a patient has been admitted to hospital finding appropriate and available care is often an issue. Delayed discharge impacts patient outcomes and adds strain on hospital resources.

“This new service will prompt people to start thinking about their onward care options much earlier,” Harris continues. “From now on, from the minute you arrive in A&E and log on to the hospital's WiFi network, you will be able to request a shortlist of elder care services that match exactly what you need. This has the potential to significantly reduce hospital readmissions via A&E.

“Imagine for example, that you’re waiting in A&E with your elderly mother who may have fallen for a second or third time in a matter of months. You’re probably going to be very open to information about care agencies in your area – services that are more likely to help prevent her falling in the future and so reducing any further lengthy hospital visits.”

For WiFi SPARK, the collaboration with Autumna is just the start.

“NHS England is currently looking to make ‘massive changes’ in the way emergency care is delivered through community services and by supporting older people,” says WiFi SPARK Director of Business Development, James Morriss. “This collaboration between Autumna and our WiFi and SPARK® Media, patient engagement platform is already giving patients and families that support.

“But we want to go further. WiFi SPARK is actively seeking other partners to put their innovative healthcare applications in front of the patients and hospital staff who need them.

“If you're a healthcare application developer aiming to make a meaningful difference in the health industry and expand your reach, get in touch with us today to discover more about the SPARK® Media entertainment and engagement platform.”