Introducing the Intermediate Care Team
The pressures faced by our NHS are a regular part of our daily news these days, with services stretched and in demand. However, with pressure comes the challenge to do things differently, to change the way we work together and be more innovative to provide excellent patient care.
A team at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, has done just that. The Intermediate Care Team make a difference every day, not only to patients and their families, but they also play a critical role in reducing pressure on Northamptonshire's two general hospitals and colleagues in the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).
The Intermediate Care Team has two fundamental aims:
1. To stop people being admitted to hospital wherever possible, and
2. If people do have to be admitted, the team support people to be discharged home safely and quickly
The team is made up of over 200 colleagues, from doctors and nurses, therapists and rehabilitation technicians to healthcare assistants alongside a team of admin professionals. They work across the whole of Northamptonshire every day of the week from 8am to 1am.
Rapid Response teams were launched in 2020 across England with the aim of responding within two hours to support older people to remain well at home and avoid hospital admissions.
Our ICT team is unique in the range of support it can provide to patients within one team. The team can provide initial nurse assessments and conduct blood tests in patient's homes, often getting same-day results. If the patient is able to remain at home, the team can often follow up with some short-term monitoring in the patient's home. They can also conduct a therapy assessment and deliver a period of therapy at home, along with arranging additional equipment that may be required to support the patient in their recovery. Where safe to do so, they can also assist with patients who have had a fall and support some patients to receive IV (through the vein) antibiotics at home.
Delivering this care in this way often means that the patient can remain in their own home, close to the things that matter to them such as pets, neighbours and family. They can avoid a hospital admission where they may be at a greater risk of losing strength and mobility and picking up infections.
This year, the ICT team has been working with the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) to share referrals. Most adult category 3 calls (these are deemed as urgent calls, but not an emergency or life threatening) can be referred to the ICT team. In all instances, EMAS carry out an initial assessment, and where appropriate, they can refer to the ICT team.
The team takes referrals from GPs, EMAS and from patients who have already had care from the service. Each day, the team attends initial assessments and follow-up visits to patients already referred into the service, this can equate to over 350 appointments in one day, in patients' homes all over Northamptonshire.
Since May 2024, the team has received 1,000 referrals each month, where the aim has been to avoid hospital admission. It will not always be possible to avoid a hospital admission but, in many cases, the ICT team is able to safely keep patients at home, reducing pressure on hospital services and keeping patients safe at home.
Additionally, the team has supported the safe discharge home of 450 patients every month following a stay in hospital. With support and therapy form the ICT team, patients can regain strength and balance and the ability to resume normal daily activities.
But don't just take our word for it! We regularly ask for feedback on the care we provide so that we can improve and develop services. We also use this feedback to tell our teams about the experiences patients have had under their care, which helps with morale and reinforces our mission to be an outstanding provider of compassionate care. One patient said:
I am writing to thank you all for the excellent service I received from you all. The nurses were all friendly and cheerful and good at their jobs. The conversations I had with the office staff were very good and informative. You have all done an excellent job.
Over the next month, we will be showcasing the work of our ICT team in more detail, going out and about on visits visit our nurses and therapists and following our colleagues working within the general hospitals. Watch our video on the overview of the ICT team and look out for more in coming weeks.