Integrated Frailty Service wins national award for excellent care

We are extremely proud to announce that our Integrated Frailty Service, incorporating acute and community services, has won a prestigious national NHS Parliamentary Award in recognition of its innovative and proactive thinking.

The team were chosen as the regional winners in the ‘Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care’ category from hundreds of nominations sent by Midlands MPs. Our service then went head-to-head with other regional winners from across the country, before being chosen the national winner of this category by a panel of senior leaders representing staff and patients from across the country.

The Trust's Integrated Frailty Service were presented the Award during a ceremony on Wednesday 05 July (the NHS’s 75th birthday) at the House of Commons.

The ‘Excellence in Urgent and Emergency Care’ category recognises outstanding initiatives and exceptional dedication in delivering high-quality urgent and emergency care services within the NHS. The Integrated Frailty Service at our Trust has demonstrated remarkable commitment and innovation in addressing the complex healthcare needs of frail individuals in our community.

The service, who works collaboratively with West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and primary care providers on a range of projects, ensures patients receive the highest level of care in the right place first time - supporting frail older adults in crisis to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions and provide hospital standard care in a patient’s home environment.

The team has also received numerous praise nationally for the initiatives they have implemented making a real positive impact on patient care and experience and are regularly invited to attend conferences to share best practice with other NHS trusts. Initiatives include:

• At the Trust, all patients over 75 receive follow up calls following being discharged from hospital. This scheme has reduced re-attendances from 15% to 3%.
• Urgent Community Response (UCR) – community clinician deployed to care for a person experiencing a crisis in their home environment. Response time is max 2 hours, with short-term intervention for up to 48 hours. Referrals taken from all appropriate sources. On average, this service responds to 800 calls in south Warwickshire a month – preventing unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Same day care services implemented have saved over two wards of beds a year – supporting the Trust to have the capacity to care for the people that need inpatient services.
• Using Consultant Connect technology – enabling ambulance crews to talk to a frailty consultant and seek advice – has meant 50% of these calls has resulted in a hospital attendance for a patient being avoided.

The Trust plans to further develop their service by utilising available technology to support an increasing number of specialty patients, who are frail, to receive and manage their care within the community.

Rachel Williams, Associate Chief Operation Officer at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It is such an honour to be awarded with a national NHS Parliamentary Award and for our dedication to improving patient care to be recognised in this way.

“Almost 50% of our Trust’s medical admissions result from patients aged 75+, with 66.5% of all bed days in hospital deriving from this cohort of patients. Hospital is not always the best place for people, with research suggesting caring for a select group of vulnerable older people in their home environment can improve patient outcomes, while reducing pressures on hospitals. By the team boosting care in the community, people receive hospital standard care in the comfort of their own homes – aiding recovery and preventing re-admissions.

“I am extremely proud of our team’s ethos to ensure patients receive the highest level of care in the right place first time. This drives us to proactively trial new ways of working, utilise available technology and work closely with our health and social care colleagues from partner organisations.”

Adam Carson, Managing Director at South Warwickshire University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The national NHS long term plan places huge significance on not just treating people, but also preventing them from getting ill in the first place. Our Trust’s Integrated Frailty Team has fully embraced this movement. Through innovation, strong leadership, collaborative working and team vision, the service has shifted their culture to prevention by adhering to a home first mindset.

“This award recognises the team’s dedication and tireless efforts to transform the delivery of urgent and emergency care to make a real difference in improving patient outcomes and experience. As an organisation we are extremely proud that our team has been acknowledged in this way.”

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