Over 3,900 elderly and vulnerable patients have managed to attend hospital appointments thanks to Warwickshire Fire and Rescue's Hospital to Home service.

Having launched in 2018 the programme has helped isolated people across the county get to and from hospital.

This in turn has helped to reduce the number of patients who have previously had to be admitted to hospital because they had no immediate friends or family to help them get home.

And patients have been quick to sing its praises.

Enie Hickinson, who recently used the service, says: "Not only did they bring me home and put my bags in and make sure I was secure at home, they also went round the house to make sure it was secure too.

"The gentleman checked all the plugs in the house and made sure we'd got the correct ones. Being in the house 30 years and being elderly, sometimes you mend and make do; everything was double checked for us so that was nice.

"When you go home [from hospital] in the ambulance it's quite conspicuous, outside and people stare, but going home in the little fire service vehicle, nobody noticed me getting out. I found that very nice.

"I've had it [the Hospital to Home service] twice now and I think it's a really good service. It's quick, it's efficient; from the nurse telling me I was going home, I was there within an hour. It was really good, quick service and kind service."

Commissioned through Warwickshire County Council and Public Health, the service offers support to hospitals in discharging patients from hospitals and helps to reduce the increase in pressures on hospital beds and services during the winter.

The scheme runs in three Warwickshire hospitals; Warwick Hospital, George Elliot in Nuneaton and UHCW in Coventry.

Once home, the resident is settled in by the Hospital to Home team, which could involve making them a cup of tea, putting the heating on or getting a food shop in.

The team carry out safe and well checks in the resident's home.

The check involves looking for potential hazards that can cause slips, trips and falls, carrying out a check for possible fire hazards, inspecting electrical sockets so they are safe to use, checking smoke alarms are working or installing new smoke alarms where there are none.

Darren Randle-Morris, Community Fire Safety Officer at Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "The vision and purpose of the fire service and the council is to make Warwickshire a safe, healthier place to live.

"This service works in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the NHS and to date we've taken home nearly 4,000 people.

"By us carrying out these safe and well checks and taking these people home, it helps that person have that independence and that we're able to support them; there are people out there to help them and they're not on their own.

"It's a really good way for the fire service to be meeting these members of the community and ensuring they're safe."