Ambulance scheme to reduce unnecessary accident and emergency admissions awarded
Multi-agency ‘Green Car’ scheme to reduce the number of unnecessary A&E admissions has won an Innovation and Quality Improvement Award at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Celebration of Achievement Awards.
Led by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Countess of Chester Hospital, the scheme sees a paramedic and physiotherapist join up to create one emergency service resource available to attend 999 incidents where the patient may benefit from support in the community.
The scheme is primarily aimed at patients who have fallen. It provides a valuable joined-up service by not only helping patients remain safely at home but gives a full therapy review of their home environment and abilities.
The paramedic is able to offer clinical treatment for any injuries sustained during the fall whilst the physiotherapist can arrange further support services and refer to hospital and community colleagues. The team work together to provide practical advice and decide on the best action to take depending on the patient’s individual needs.
The ‘Green Car’ scheme won the Innovation and Quality Improvement Award at the Countess of Chester Hospital’s Celebration of Achievement Awards which took place on 25 January 2019 at Chester Racecourse.
The project initially started in Chester back in February 2018 for a six month trial.
Paul Townley, Sector Manager of Wirral & West Cheshire for NWAS: “I’m really pleased with the success of the Green Car and extremely proud that the team has been given this well-deserved recognition.
“It has been a real collaboration of work between NWAS and The Countess of Chester Hospital. By joining up with physiotherapist colleagues from Countess of Chester we have been able to offer patients more specialist care for their specific needs.
“We have been able to respond in a more timely fashion to those patients identified through our dispatch system who do not require a full paramedic ambulance response but would benefit from this more specialised service. The team of paramedics and physiotherapists bring the right care and strategy to these patients.”
On the car, the team has access to live 999 data and focus on responding to incidents involving a fall that don’t necessarily require an immediate emergency response.
Alison Swanton, Head of Therapies at the Countess of Chester Hospital, said: “We are delighted with the Green Car initiative and the difference it is making to our patients in the community. This partnership provides a more responsive service to patients who have suffered a fall because a joint crew of paramedics and therapists arrive on the scene together.
“By collaborating in this way, our therapists are able to conduct early therapy assessments on patients, reviewing their abilities and home environments as a decision is taken about whether they need to go to hospital. I was really pleased that Green Car won the Innovation and Quality Award at our recent Celebration of Achievement Awards. I believe the way NWAS and The Countess have worked together on this for the benefit of our patients showcases the very best of the NHS.”
Due to the scheme’s success it has now been extended to March 2019.
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