KCHFT's Shelagh O'Riordan announced as President of Hospital at Home Society
Dr Shelagh O’Riordan, Consultant Geriatrician at KCHFT, has been appointed the new President of the UK Hospital at Home Society, alongside her work supporting community services, which help people stay well at home and avoid unnecessary hospital admissions.
The announcement was made at the UK Hospital at Home Society Conference 2026.
At KCHFT, Shelagh’s role focuses on providing specialist community care for older people and supporting colleagues to deliver rapid, hospital‑level interventions at home. This approach helps prevent avoidable admissions and supports safe, timely discharge, allowing more people to receive care in familiar surroundings.
The Hospital at Home Society promotes, researches and implements short-term, acute-level care in patients' homes as an alternative to hospital admission. It supports NHS colleagues, researchers and policymakers by sharing best practices for services, such as intravenous treatment and diagnostics, which reduce hospital pressure and improve patient outcomes.
Dr Shelagh O'Riordan Consultant Community Geriatrician said:
"When care moves from hospital to home, outcomes improve, risks reduce and dignity is restored. The Hospital at Home Society should be the place you turn to for evidence, guidance and advocacy – helping to make home-based hospital care the norm.
"We are here to share best practice, support clinicians and give patients the confidence to choose to recover at home.
“Our vision is a world where home is the first choice for hospital-level care, not the last resort.”
