A charity has been awarded £1.2million to boost a service helping elderly people when they are discharged from hospital.

Age UK works with hospitals serving Redbridge to help patients return home and make arrangements to avoid re-admission.

The pledge by the Department for Helath comes as hospitals struggle with increased admissions during the winter months. 

Chief officer of Age UK Redbridge, Andy Petty, said: “We welcome this recognition of the important role that voluntary organisations can play in supporting the NHS to work as effectively as possible for older people, especially when the system is under extra pressure during the cold winter months.

 “In some cases, by providing early support we can prevent older people needing more intensive treatment and care, whether that’s by avoiding a hospital admission or by getting them home earlier through putting good support in place.

“Ultimately all of us, whatever our age, just want to be as well as possible in our own homes.”

The service helps patients treated at King George Hospital in Goodmayes and Queen's in Romford.