Fuerteventura General Hospital Launches Home Hospitalization Unit
The unit is composed of eight professionals: three doctors and five nurses.
The Management of Health Services of the Fuerteventura Health Area, part of the Canary Health Service (SCS), has inaugurated a Home Hospitalization Unit (HHO) at the General Hospital of Fuerteventura. The service is led by Internal Medicine and coordinated with the rest of the medical specialties.
The HHO, staffed by the eight‑person team, is intended for patients who need to continue hospital‑level treatment and care but who are clinically stable, have a favorable evolution, a confirmed diagnosis and a prescribed treatment plan. The medical team can adjust the treatment as the patient progresses.
This model offers a safe, effective and specialised alternative that can be applied to numerous clinical processes performed at home, enhancing patient well‑being and promoting a faster recovery in a familiar environment.
Once a patient is admitted to HHO, the professionals organise daily home visits, individualised care plans, and coordinate any required hospital diagnostic tests, arranging transport to the hospital when necessary.
Capacity and Equipment
- Start date: 1 December (2024)
- Active home beds: 10
- Temporarily unavailable beds: 5 (ready for activation when needed)
The unit is equipped with two dedicated vehicles for health‑care staff and a range of portable medical devices, including:
- 1 ultrasound machine
- 15 portable infusion pumps
- 2 portable electrocardiographs
- 9 automatic blood‑pressure monitors
- 2 manual blood‑pressure monitors
- 10 pulse oximeters
- 10 glucometers
- 10 thermometers
- 2 portable refrigerators
- 2 transport cases
- Telephone and IT equipment
This equipment ensures that advanced care can be delivered safely in the patient’s home.
Home Hospitalization
Home Hospitalization is an assistance model that provides hospital‑level medical and nursing care directly at the patient’s residence. It functions as an extension of the hospital, acting as a substitute rather than a complement to conventional inpatient care.
Key benefits of the model include:
- Reduced admission times
- Increased turnover of hospital beds
- Better organisation of health‑care resources
- Avoidance of unnecessary hospital stays
- Improved quality of care and patient satisfaction, combining specialised treatment with the comfort of the home environment
Financially, home hospitalization costs 30 % to 50 % less than traditional inpatient care.
3,481 Home Hospitalizations in the Canary Islands
The launch of this unit aligns with the SCS strategy to expand Home Hospitalization across all islands, enlarging existing teams and creating new units.
- In 2024, public hospitals in the Canary Islands treated 3,481 patients through this modality.
- The SCS currently operates units in the four reference hospitals of Gran Canaria and Tenerife, as well as established teams in Lanzarote and La Palma.
- A new service has recently been added in El Hierro.
- On the island of La Gomera, home care is currently provided by Primary Care and Palliative Care teams.