New East Sussex clinical hubs supporting patients this Christmas
Ahead of the Christmas and winter period, health and care partners across Sussex have been working in closer partnership than ever before to ensure patients receive the care and support they need
This work includes the newly created Unscheduled Care Navigation Hubs (UCNHs) that are designed to ensure patients receive the right response, first time and to help reduce the number of patients attending emergency departments (EDs) when they do not need to.
Working closely with our hospital and community trusts, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) has established two hubs in Sussex ready for this winter, located in Polegate, near Eastbourne, and Brighton.
The clinical hubs include advanced paramedic practitioners and paramedics working alongside ED and frailty consultants, lead urgent care clinicians, and lead clinicians from the Urgent Community Response (UCR) teams, to improve patient care.
Together, these new multidisciplinary teams (MDT) are doing two things.
They are providing additional clinical advice and guidance to both patients waiting for an ambulance and to ambulance crews on the scene of a 999 call – so patients can be treated without needing follow up care; and they are helping to arrange appropriate alternative care for patients who need it, so they do not end up in ED.
This includes booking them directly into Urgent Treatment Centre (UTC) or Same Day Emergency Care (SDEC) appointments, admission to a Virtual Ward, referring them to their GP, or arranging a home visit from community nursing or UCR teams.
The hubs are ensuring more patients can be treated over the phone, reducing the number of ambulances sent to see patients who might not need one; and ensuring more patients can be treated by ambulance crews or referred to alternative services, reducing the number of patients taken to ED and admitted into a hospital bed who could have been treated just as well at home.
Although the UCNHs in Polegate and Brighton have only been running for a few weeks, both hubs have already helped ensure over 200 people have been treated on the scene or sent to alternative services. This ensures the patients receive care close to home and helps to ensure the EDs are kept freer for life-threatening emergencies.
Similar hubs established in Kent last year have had considerable success in reducing the number of patients being taken to hospital and the amount of time crews spend waiting to hand over patients at the hospitals. These hubs have also had continued support from hospital consultants working in them for their positive impact on patients and the local NHS.
Dr James Ramsay, Chief Medical Officer for NHS Sussex, said: “The unscheduled care navigation hubs are an excellent example of how our system is working together to look at alternative options to care for local people this winter.
“The hubs mean people can get the care they need without needing to be taken to hospital, which we know people don’t want, especially at this time of year.
“The NHS is busy all year round, but we know that Christmas and the winter months bring additional pressures, having the option of the clinical hubs is a great step in delivery our system strategy of ‘Improving Lives Together’ and ensuring patients receive the right care for them or their loved ones.”
As SECAmb works closely with its hospital and community teams in the Unscheduled Care Navigation Hubs (UCNHs), the public is asked to show its support during the busy period by only calling 999 in an emergency and by making use of alternatives for more minor complaints, including speaking to a GP or pharmacist or by visiting NHS 111 Online for help and advice.
The public’s support, alongside the hub approach and hard work of SECAmb’s teams right across its region, including in its emergency operations centres and colleagues and volunteers out on the road, will ensure SECAmb is as best placed as possible to respond to its most seriously ill and injured patients this winter and beyond.
SECAmb Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Allan said: “While we are busy all year round, we know that Christmas and the winter period can bring additional pressure on us and the wider NHS.
“I’m pleased that we have been able to set up the additional clinical hubs as planned and in line with our new clinically-led strategy. This partnership approach to care is key to ensuring patients receive the right help, first time.
“People can help by keeping 999 for serious illnesses and injuries only. Our 111 service and your own GP are there to help you when you need urgent advice. In an emergency we’ll be there but we will also be working hard to provide alternative advice and guidance both through our Emergency Operations Centre teams and via our hubs when an ambulance response isn’t required.”
Read more about the clinical hubs: Clinical hubs to support patient care this Christmas - NHS South East Coast Ambulance Service
Visit our website for more information on getting your home this winter and accessing the right care when needed Get the right care - Sussex Health & Care