The ICT team in Emergency Departments
In the final instalment of our series following the ICT team, we spend a morning with Tiffany who is on duty in Northampton General Hospital.
Every day, the ICT team has at least one senior nurse on duty in both Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals.
The role of the ICT team in the Emergency Departments is to track patients who may have been under the care of the ICT team and advised to attend the Emergency Department. If the patient can receive treatment in the Emergency Department, the ICT team can track the progress of the patient and support when the patient leaves if required.
The team can also take referrals from various wards across the hospital, including the Emergency Department, to support the discharge of a patient. We saw last week the progress that Mary had made with the support of the ICT team following a stay in hospital.
During the morning with Tiffany, a patient was referred for support with discharge. Tiffany went to see the patient and reviewed their notes but they weren't quite ready for discharge so the patient was referred to the doctor for further care.
The teams are in the hospitals every day, working closely with hospital colleagues in Emergency Departments to help patients avoid being admitted. Sometimes a patient could arrive in the Emergency Department, but could avoid an admission with some short term support and intervention from the ICT team.
This is often a favourable outcome for everyone as patients generally prefer to be able to recover at home, and this also means a bed can be made available for another patient in the hosptial.
Tiffany talks through what its like working in the Emergency Departments and the difference she and her team make to patients every day.