At Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust @southern_nhsft we are always looking at new ways we can work with our patients,
and in particular, keep them out of hospital if they don't need to be in there.
The frailty car is the latest development in the Trust’s urgent community response team service.
Responding to 999 category 3 and 4 calls, a paramedic from South Coast Ambulance Service (SCAS) @SCAS999 and frailty specialist from Southern Health are dispatched in a fully equipped car to assess, diagnose and treat patients in their own homes.
Set up during the pandemic to treat those vulnerable patients who were falling at home, and were being instructed to shield due to their risk of catching covid, this service has seen over 600 people between Nov 2020 and October 2021 and in over 85% of its cases, avoided the need to be admitted to hospital.
Where a patient has had to go to hospital via this route, the effective partnership working between acute, ambulance and community services has ensured this is as seamless as possible.
Hear from Naomi Purdie @Naomipurdie04 consultant nurse for frailty, who has been instrumental in setting this service up.