Trial scheme helping patients avoid unnecessary A&E trips to launch in Shropshire
A trial which is helping West Midlands Ambulance Service to avoid taking patients on unnecessary trips to accident and emergency departments is to be rolled out to Shropshire.
It could help relieve pressure on the county's hard-pressed emergency departments which have had to deal with rising demands.
The programme, run by the emergency care intensive support team from NHS Improvement, involves advanced nurse practitioners from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust working with the emergency clinical co-ordination paramedics in the control room at WMAS.
The advanced nurse practitioners have specialisms in community healthcare and can talk to paramedics at the scene.
They are able to access details which can allow patients to find alternative treatments, rather than be taken to A&E.
At the moment it is only being trialled in the Wolverhampton area, but there are plans for a similar trial involving services in Shropshire.
Ambulance bosses say they are already seeing benefits from the initiative.
Significant
Martyn Pugh, strategic operations cell commander, said: “We have already seen a significant number of additional patients diverted away from being taken to A&E by ambulance due to the work of the paramedics in the strategic capacity cell.
“These paramedics work with the crews on the ambulance to find alternative ways to provide additional treatment to patients rather than have them taken to A&E.
"This could be by referring them to other healthcare staff such as district nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and access to social care support.
“What this new programme brings is the chance for the paramedics at the scene to talk to the advanced nurse practitioners who have specialisms in community healthcare.
"This ranges from help with long term conditions, infections, respiratory and cardiac conditions.
“What we are finding is that many of these patients already receive care from the community health services and the advanced nurse practitioners are able to access those details which allows the most appropriate support to be given.
“At this stage we are only working in the Wolverhampton area, but we will also be running a similar trial involving services in Shropshire.”
Emergency clinical co-ordination paramedic, Kirsty Houston said having rapid access to specialist care for long term conditions was 'very welcome'.
Scott Harris, another emergency clinical co-ordination paramedic, added: “There is no question that everyone benefits: many more patients are treated at home; it means ambulances are available more quickly to respond to the next call; it reduces the pressure on the hospital A&E departments and community health services can continue with their care plans for these patients.”
At this stage the pilot is being used as a proof of concept.
Once the feedback from the project has been analysed, it is hoped that changes could be introduced more widely that would allow closer working between ambulance staff and community healthcare services.
