Learning from practice

The Harrogate Fast Response Team aims to prevent avoidable hospital admissions, facilitate early discharge, and provide out-of-hours skilled nursing care. Service users are helped to be as independent as possible within their own home or care setting. The team consists of district nurses, community nurses, community care officers, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, and generic and healthcare support workers, and provides health and social services.

The team deals with:

people in crisis in the community due to an acute illness, an exacerbation of a previous medical condition, deterioration in a chronic condition, or an accident which would be likely to lead to a hospital admission

people who present in A&E with a condition or injury not requiring in-patient treatment and who with support could be safely looked after at home

people who no longer require acute medical intervention within an acute hospital, and who, with a package of health, social or rehabilitation care, could be discharged

people who have an identified nursing need that extends beyond the normal working day

Services provided by the team include: first contact, specialist and holistic assessments, intermediate care, rehabilitation to reduce long-term care needs, practical advice, follow-up support following discharge from hospital, and arrangements for care when the normal carer is unable to care for the patient.

Information is shared between organisations in order to avoid duplicating assessment, and joint case conferences are held if service users require long-term health and social care, ensuring a smooth transition for the service user.

Excellent working relationships have developed between the local health and social care organisations through the team, and it is clear from joint working that the same values and outcomes are shared, ensuring service users are receiving a safe, equitable, high-quality service. Joint working has reduced the need for initial community-based services and unnessary acute admissions by providing access to community intermediate care beds funded by the local PCT and social services.