When someone leaves hospital after a mental health crisis, the world can seem like a scary place. Home should feel safe, familiar, and supportive… but without the right help, those first days and weeks can be overwhelming. That’s where Bridge Back Home steps in.

The idea is simple: give people the support they need at home for up to 12 weeks so they can recover properly, rebuild their confidence, avoid slipping back into crisis, and here’s the thing… it works. Over the last three years, our results have shown massive improvements.

Real Outcomes, Real Impact

Take a look at some of our numbers between April 2021 and September 2024:

• We supported 912 people to safely return home.
• We saved £8.7 million in avoided inpatient costs.
• 95% of clients said they were satisfied with the service
  

Those numbers are impressive, but what they really show is every successful discharge represents a person who didn’t have to return to hospital. Every pound saved reflects a bed freed up for someone who truly needs it. Every high satisfaction score means a person felt respected and supported. That’s the value that we strive to give at Bridge Support.

What Makes BBH Different?

Many discharge services focus on the logistics (important, of course): getting someone home quickly and safely. But the Bridge Back Home goes further. The team offers:

• intensive social care support
• crisis response in the community
  partnership working with clinical teams, home treatment services, and liaison teams
  

It means we’re not just helping people leave hospital; we’re also helping them stay well once they’re home. We continue to help with their daily routines, medication support, emotional reassurance, housing issues, food in the fridge, benefits forms, family communication… all the things that can easily unravel recovery if left unsupported.

Why This is Important for the NHS

Hospitals are under enormous pressure. We know that beds are limited and staff are stretched. Readmissions don’t just impact the person’s recovery journey. The effects are felt through the whole system. By preventing avoidable returns to hospital, Bridge Back Home helps hospitals to:

• reduce waiting lists
• ease pressure on inpatient wards
• free up clinical time
• support faster, safer discharges
  

£8.7 million saved is an amazing financial headline, but it reflects a smarter use of NHS resources along with improved outcomes for the very people who need the most help.

What Clients Tell Us

The 95% rate of satisfaction didn’t come from a box ticking exercise. Our service users’ relationships with us shaped this satisfaction rate. People say things like:

“I wouldn’t have coped without them.”
“They helped me feel human again.”
“They listened. No one has listened like that before.”

When someone feels supported at home, their confidence naturally grows. They start cooking again. They reconnect with family. They can finally make plans for the future. These small steps develop into something more permanent. That’s the basis of a true recovery.

Looking to the Future

Our success with Bridge Back Home raises an important question for commissioners and partners, that being, what would our mental health services look like if more people received this kind of wraparound support?

We know the answer. Fewer readmissions, a better patient experience, stronger recovery outcomes and less pressure on hospitals. Most importantly, more people are living independent and fulfilling lives at home rather than in hospitals.

What Success Really Looks Like

It’s not all about how much money we save—although that matters. It’s not even the number of discharges. Success is when someone looks around their own living room and feels safe again.

Success is when they say, “I can do this.” When hospital becomes a memory, not a cycle. Bridge Back Home has shown that recovery doesn’t end at discharge. For many, that’s exactly where it begins. For more information, click here.

Further Reading

How Can Charities Lead Change Without Breaking the System?

Navigating the Challenges of Running a Modern Mental Health Charity

The Future of Mental Health Support: What the Sector Must Do Now