Older people will be offered more support after hospital visits as part of a £1.2 million government programme.

Some of the country’s busiest hospitals will take part in tailored projects to help elderly people most at risk of admission to hospital, along with those who need extra help when they are discharged.

The £1.2 million programme will help to address the challenges faced by hospitals across the NHS which have the biggest problems with delayed discharges and high readmissions, and will support 10,000 people during the coldest months of the year.

Age UK Harrow will be building on existing work to expand their existing Home Not Hospital Project, which covers Northwick Park Hospital.

Age UK Harrow and Age UK Brent will work together to support patients from both Harrow and Brent with post-discharge support.

Dal Babu OBE, chairman of Age UK Harrow, 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.

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