Richmond Response and Rehabilitation Team has joined a new urgent care initiative for people who call an ambulance but who could safely be treated at home.
They will be part of the integrated urgent community response car, staffed by London Ambulance Service paramedics and rapid response clinicians from the 5 community health trusts across south west London.
The new integrated pathway diverts 999 calls directly to the new service, to ensure vulnerable patients get the care they need more quickly.
The service will take some of the pressure off London Ambulance and local acute hospitals, especially when LAS call rates are high and hospitals are busy.
The service is for category 3 and 4 calls, which London Ambulance defines as:
- Category 3: for urgent calls such as abdominal pains, which will include patients to be treated in their own homes
- Category 4: less urgent calls such as diarrhoea, vomiting and back pain
Paramedics and rapid response clinicians will complete an electronic patient care record for each patient, which can be shared with the relevant community health trust and the patient's GP.
This information will help community providers to make clinical decisions and continue to support to their patients.
The cars will cover all six boroughs in south west London and operate from 8am to 8pm, with at least one car working 7 days a week.