Council services
You are here: Home » Health, social care and carers » Services for older people » Rapid Response Service
Wokingham Rapid Response Service
The service aims to help patients aged 65 and over to continue living independently. The district nurse-led team of therapists and care assistants work together to prevent hospital admissions.
The service has been developed and provided in partnership by Wokingham Borough Council Community Services, Wokingham Primary Care, West Berkshire Primary Care Service NHS Trust, and Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospitals NHS Trust.
Background
The service was established because the Wokingham Primary Care Group and Social Services professionals identified the need for a domiciliary care service which could respond quickly to a request from a primary care team (GP or district nurse) to prevent unnecessary admission to hospital.
How does the service operate?
The Rapid Response Team is led by district nurses. It is a multi-professional team consisting of district nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and care assistants.
Referrals of medically stable patients can be made by GPs, district nurses and senior members of accident and emergency staff between the hours of 8.30am and 10.00pm.*
Referrals of medically stable patients can be made by GPs, district nurses and senior members of accident and emergency staff between the hours of 8.30am and 10.00pm.*
8.30am - 5.00pm | 5.00pm - 10.00pm | |
Weekdays | District nurse attached to the patient's practice | District nurse on mobile: 07887 993 826 |
Weekends and bank holidays | District nurse led by aircall system | District nurse on mobile: 07887 993 826 |
* The Accident and Emergency Department should access the service via the Priority Enhanced Care (PEC) office as per the Reading Intensive Community Support Service.
The district nurse will carry out an assessment of need and access the multi-disciplinary professionals required to meet the identified needs. Support will be provided for a period of up to six weeks. During that time on-going assessment will be carried out to review progress. After four weeks, the district nurse will carry out an assessment of health and social care needs and will liaise with appropriate agencies to provide support beyond the six weeks if it is required.
A referral to Social Services will mean a financial assessment, which may result in the patient having to meet costs of social care.
Eligibility criteria
People qualify for the service if they are:
- Patients aged 65 years and over
- Patients who are medically stable
- Patients registered with practices in the Wokingham PCG area
People who are suitable for the service may include:
- When a carer is unwell and unable to supply support to that person
- People with general mobility difficulties
- People with fractures
- People with respiratory problems
Funding and evaluation
The Rapid Response Scheme has been funded through the Wokinhgam Partnership Grant.
An ongoing evaluation of the service is carried out looking particularly at the impact on the number of hospital bed days saved. As part of the evaluation of the service, referring agencies are asked to identify patients who do not meet the above criteria, but who may have benefited from the scheme.
An ongoing evaluation of the service is carried out looking particularly at the impact on the number of hospital bed days saved. As part of the evaluation of the service, referring agencies are asked to identify patients who do not meet the above criteria, but who may have benefited from the scheme.
