Urgent Community Response Service
The Urgent Community Response service is a community-based crisis response service provided by a multi-skilled team to people in their usual place of residence with an urgent care need (required within two hours) and involves an assessment and short-term intervention(s).
The two-hour response is designed to reduce preventable hospital admission. The referral source will typically be from general practice, A&E/same day emergency care, frailty assessment units, ambulance services, or community-based health and social care.
If a person resides in their own home or a care home and experiences a sudden illness or a deterioration of a chronic illness fitting with the inclusion criteria and are stable to remain in their own home, then the team will visit for an assessment to determine what intervention may be needed from the multi-skilled team to prevent an unplanned hospital admission. This may include relevant equipment, a short-term package of care (for people in their own homes), or medical intervention.
Referral criteria
Our service is available to people who are experiencing / require support for:
- Falls, which could be caused by a new or sudden worsening of existing condition
- Deterioration in their condition which could include a new or sudden worsening of existing conditions e.g. fluid retention, shortness of breath, dehydration, high temperature, difficulty passing urine
- Recent/sudden decline in function/deconditioning/ mobility
- End of life (palliative) crisis symptom control
- Urgent equipment provision
- Recent /worsening confusion/delirium e.g. acute infection
- Urgent support for diabetes
- Urgent catheter support
- Unpaid carer breakdown, which if not resolved will result in a health care crisis for the person they care for
Unfortunately, we can't accept referrals if the following applies to you:
- You are under 18 years of age
- You're registered to a Berkshire West GP
- Experiencing a mental health crisis and require referral/ assessment by a specialist mental health team
- In need of acute/complex diagnostics and clinical intervention in hospital
- You're severely unwell or injured, requiring emergency care intervention and an admission into an acute hospital bed - please call 999 for emergency help
Contact details
Referrals for the Urgent Community Response service is via the Integrated Hub.
Hours of service: 8am-8pm, 7days/week, 365 days/year
Call 0300 365 1234
Email Integratedhub@berkshire.nhs.uk
Address
Wokingham hospital
Barkham Road
Wokingham
RG41 2RE