Publish date: 13 December 2022
West London NHS Trust is leading a new service to prevent hospital admissions and support patients at home.
Ealing Community Partners (ECP), a coalition of organisations led by West London, are excited to announce the successful launch of a new service that provides a Single Point of Access (SPA) for 111/999 referrals made to North West London Urgent Response Teams (UCRs).
The service will be linking eight UCRs covering Hounslow, Hillingdon, Brent, Harrow, Ealing, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster, as well as Hammersmith and Fulham.
Clinicians from across North West London will provide a clinical screening of referrals into the SPA and either transfer them to the local UCR for treatment or advise on alternative pathways.
The aim of the service is to provide a streamlined system to support patients to remain at home and prevent avoidable hospital admissions, whilst aligning practices so patients receive the same high quality care, wherever they live.
ECP has led on the mobilisation of the service and is hosting the SPA. Chris Nowicki, Team Manager for ECPs Referral Hub will provide clinical and operational leadership to the SPA. The service is funded via winter monies, initially for 4 months during which an evaluation of its impact will take place and provide recommendations for potential future models for ongoing partnership working.
Dr Christopher Hilton, Chair of the new NHS England London Region Urgent Community Response Delivery Board, said: “This is an exciting project to build on the partnership working across NWL and provides an unique opportunity for clinical staff to work closely together, allowing them to align practice and learn from each other. It also allows NWL UCRs to expand on the existing work with partners / stakeholders to support patients to remain at home. Thank you to the staff who have supported the mobilisation of the service and to the clinicians who are contributing to the SPA."
For more information please visit our referall hub.
Chris Nowicki