Urgent Community Response Service

Depending on your needs, staff from our team may visit and help you get back to being able to carry out your usual daily tasks.

Specialists that may visit you, could include: 

• Nurse and Paramedic Practitioners, to carry out assessments such as blood pressure, temperature and pulse checks
• Multi Therapy Assistant (MTA) to take blood or other tests
• Occupational Therapist, to see if you’re able to do everyday tasks, such as washing, dressing and cooking, and whether you need equipment to help you
• ​Physiotherapists, to look at how you’re walking and getting out of your bed and chair and suggesting exercises to help with your strength and balance
• Pharmacist, to review existing prescriptions and provide other medication as required
• A Geriatrician to review and advise on your medical needs

We may also provide equipment and guide you to other support services if we think it will help you. 

When we will contact you

After we have received your referral from your GP, health or care professional, or through NHS111, we aim to be  at your home within 2 hours. 

Your care and support plan

We will find out more about the difficulties you are experiencing and create a care and support plan with you.

We’ll contact your GP to let them know we’re helping you.

After you have been seen by the UCR Team you may be discharged or referred for longer term care.

Patient stories

Jo Hodgetts is the Ageing Well lead in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. She is is very familiar with urgent community response services in her patch so when her grandmother had a series of falls at home, she secured a referral to Berkshire West Urgent Community Response (UCR) team through Barbara’s GP.

Read Jo and Barbara's story (pdf)

Frailty Virtual Wards help prevent hospital stays by supporting you in your home or care home if you suddenly become unwell.

Our service gives you the same level of high-quality patient care, with access to all the same investigations and treatment you would receive in hospital, without needing to be admitted.

While you’re a Frailty Virtual Ward patient, you will be under the care of a consultant geriatrician and can expect to be seen by a healthcare professional in your own home every day.  

We will carry out an urgent assessment and put in short-term interventions. These can include intravenous (IV) antibiotics and fluids, physiotherapy, or equipment.

You could be under our care for up to 5 days, but this depends on your needs. In most cases you won’t have to go into hospital at all and will be able to remain at home for your treatment.

When your treatment is completed, you will then be discharged back to the care of your GP. We may also refer you to other community services or carer support providers as necessary. 

Referrals

UCR is only available through a referral from your GP, a health care or social care professional, or NHS 111 or 999.

They will contact our Integrated Hub which manages all referrals for our community services.

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:

• You are under 18 years of age
• You're not registered to a Berkshire West GP               
• You're experiencing a mental health crisis and require referral/ assessment by a specialist mental health team
• You're 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

Out of hours, and urgent help

Call NHS 111 if you have any concerns about your health

Call 999 in an emergency

We are open every day, including bank holidays, during the times below.

If we receive your referral after 6pm we may hold your examination until the next day.