Rapid Response and Enhanced Support to Nursing Homes Team - Newham

Through the single point of access on 0208 709 5555 between 08.00 and 22:00.

Team Email: epct.spa@nhs.net 

Service is based at East Ham Care Centre, Shrewsbury Rd, Forest Gate 
And covers the whole of Newham.

Rapid Response is a service that is focused on preventing avoidable admissions to hospital and will reach eligible patients within 2 hours. The Rapid Response Team is a Nurse led MDT, that includes Nurse Practitioners, Nurses, Occupational Therapist, Physiotherapist, Geriatrician and a General Practitioner in an advisory role. 

The team will generally see patients for between 3-5 days but will work with patients for a maximum of 14 days. 

The Rapid Response healthcare professional can perform and interpret diagnostic tests such as urinalysis, vita sign observation, blood tests and Doppler tests, as well as undertake a detailed history from the patient. Onwards referrals to other services are made as required. 

The service is available through the Single Point of Access, referrals are accepted from Health & Social Care professionals, and in addition the team will accept self-referrals and referrals from carer’s /relatives. 

Conditions supported include chest infection, UTI, viral illnesses, dehydration/malnutrition, not coping at home, falls, confusion secondary to organic causes, frail and elderly patients who are generally unwell and end of life care.  

Provides an increased level of support to Nursing Homes in Newham and their residents through the provision of senior and experienced Registered General Nurses. Who have experience of the needs of older people with complex needs.

The team targets this support appropriately to those with highest need through case review / quantitative evidence of increasing need or complexity, and to lever increased support from other health and care professionals such as therapists, pharmacists and Geriatricians where this is required. The team aims to reduce hospital admissions and shorten the average length of stay for nursing home residents who do get admitted to hospital.

The Fast Falls Service (FFS) will provide the following:  

• Multifactorial Falls Assessments to identify cause of fall and Falls Care Planning  
• Crisis management 
• Nursing assessment 
• Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy assessment
• Advice about specialist home equipment for falls prevention
• Assessment for equipment/ordering of equipment for rapid equipment provision
• Referral to other specialist services
• Specialist falls prevention exercise and rehabilitation programmes 
• Effective liaison with GPs or other health and social care professionals 
• Health Promotion activities.  

The Fast Falls Service will visit and assess patients in their own homes upon receipt of referral  

The Falls Service has been designed to reduce the number of falls and harm suffered from falls and therefore where appropriate reduces the amount of emergency admissions due to falls.   

The following eligibility criteria must be met   

• Resident in the London Borough of Newham  
•  Registered with a Newham GP   
• Aged 18 years and over  
• The patient or carer must agree to and consent to the service verbally prior to referral  
• Without intervention from the Fast Falls Service the patient may attend A & E or be admitted to hospital    

Referrals will be accepted between 8am and 8pm seven days/week, the preferred method of referral is by telephone, but the service will also accept appropriate referrals on the current Extended Primary Care Teams referral form. But to facilitate a quick response the preferred method is telephone referral.  

Referrals will be received by and triaged by the Rapid Response Team Coordinator for that day who will allocate the assessment/home visit accordingly.   

Where services are run:
The service is based at East Ham Care Centre, Shrewsbury Road, E7 8QP and covers the whole of Newham.