Our Two Hour Urgent Community Response Service (2hr UCR) ensures people receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place. In October the team responded to 228 calls in under two hours with 90.1% compliance against the national target of 70%.
The multi-skilled team respond to urgent referrals, completing assessments and delivering personalised care, treatment and support for people living in Wirral. Assessments are completed within 2-48 hours dependent upon clinical need.
Part of the Community Integrated Response Team (CIRT), the 2hr UCR team has built excellent relationships with local primary care networks, mental health and community services, acute settings, social and voluntary sector organisations and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS). Partnership working has resulted in Wirral’s Two Hour Community Response Service being one of the highest performing teams for NWAS referrals across Cheshire and Merseyside. Each one of these referrals have meant patients can remain in their own homes and freed up ambulance crews to attend other calls across the region.
Patients have benefited from:
- quick assessment and treatment
- care and treatment in their own home or place of residence
- avoiding an unnecessary admission to hospital
- reduced stress and anxiety associated with hospital admissions
- extra support when they get home from hospital
The service is an admission prevention service, providing people with urgent assessments, care and treatment in their own home for a short time. This service is for those people who may otherwise be at imminent risk of hospital admission.
Case study
Following a GP referral into the two hour UCR service, a joint, holistic and face to face assessment was carried out by a nurse and therapist who found that patient was struggling with washing, dressing, and presented as confused. The assessment included taking patient bloods which revealed an infection, and antibiotics were prescribed following liaison with the GP.
The team wrapped around the patient at home ensuring that the patient was safe. Therapy staff ordered equipment and then assessed patient with this at their own home. Health Care Assistants (HCA) were put in place to support personal care and with meals and after a few days the patient had improved again and the team were able to discharge the patient from the service.
Had the infection not been picked up quicky by the team, the patient would have deteriorated further causing increased confusion, reduced mobility therefore putting the patient at risk at home. Further deterioration would have resulted in the patient becoming immobile and may have required medical intervention in an acute setting via a 999 call to A&E.
The team’s specialist, responsive and holistic approach was a key factor in keeping the patient well at home and preventing an avoidable admission to hospital.
To find out more, visit our service page.
