If you have a spare room in your home – you could earn money from it by letting patients stay there.
It’s a scheme which is set to be trialled in the county which see those patients who would otherwise bed block hospitals – staying in people’s homes as long as they can provide them with 3 microwaved meals a day and supply drinks.
The hosts could earn up £1000 a month doing it.
It's aimed at helping patients who are medically fit to be discharged- but need short-term accommodation because they either live alone OR have mobility issues.
It would be tested on around 30 patients who would mostly come from Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.
The company said it will transform spare rooms and annexes with a private bathroom into "secure care spaces for patients who are waiting to be discharged".
It said it aims to "provide patients with a practical alternative to hospitals and care homes to recuperate in".
"Our hospitals are becoming increasingly full with patients who have nowhere to go, your spare room and bathroom can be safely converted to allow patients to be discharged for a maximum of two weeks, for remote carers to look after them and for minimal impact and risk to your daily life."
The news comes amid the crisis of delayed discharges in hospitals.
Last week, Age UK warned that increasing numbers of elderly and frail patients are being "marooned" in hospital beds, despite being medically fit.
NHS figures show that last year, 2.2 million hospital "bed days" in England were lost due to delayed transfers of care.
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