Urgent community response
St Helens 2 Hour Urgent Community Response Service (UCR)
This includes
- Help and support to over 18s who are experiencing a health or care crisis
- Most assessments carried out within two hours
- Works with the wider community team to reduce the risk of hospital attendances or admissions
Who we Are?
- St Helens 2Hr UCR is a team of health and social care professionals who help to maintain people at home - preventing avoidable hospital visits and stays.
- We provide urgent two-hour assessment and support within 48 hoursfor a short time, to help people recover quickly and keep their independence
- UCR works closely with the ambulance service , GP practices, mental health and other hospital and community services, as well as social care and voluntary sector organisations.
Who We Support
People eligible for the service need to be:
• Over 18 and registered with a GP practice and/ or residing in St Helens
• Those at risk of hospital attendance or ( re)admission
• Medically safe to be treated or cared for in a community setting
• In crisis and needing assessment or intervention within two hours - must also be safe to wait for two hours.
UCR ensures people are supported in the following situations:
| Falls | With no apparent serious injury, including to the head, back, hip or where able to rule out a fracture, and where there has been no loss of consciousness |
| Increased frailty | A frailty related condition which may result in loss of strength, speed, energy, activity, muscle mass, resilience to minor health strains and subsequent loss of independence. Decompensation caused by a minor stressor event, such as a Urinary Tract infection (UTI), that can cause a sudden or disproportionate decline in function |
| Reduced function or mobility | Mobility loss can be sudden or gradual, leading to a sudden presentation and an acute need. The person may have a change in functional ability or ability to manage at home and with activities of daily living |
| End-of-life crisis support | Support If core palliative/end of life care services are not available to respond, a crisis response service will help to maintain a person at home if they are close to the end of their life, offering symptom control/pain relief, in line with the persons wishes. |
| Urgent equipment provision | Alongside an assessment, to make a person safe and optimise functional ability to support prevention of admission. A person should be made safe and ongoing care provided where appropriate by reablement or rehabilitation services |
| Confusion or delirium | Increased or new confusion, acute worsening of dementia and/or delirium (excluding sepsis requiring hospital admission). The patient should be assessed, and physical health needs managed to establish the cause (e.g., Urinary Tract Infection, Cellulitis, Pneumonia) so that their needs are managed safely at home |
| Urgent catheter care | Where the person has a blocked catheter and/or pain from a catheter related issue and is at risk of harm and has a very high risk of admission to Hospital |
| Urgent diabetes care | Where the person has experienced a hypoglycaemic episode (now resolved) or where blood sugar management is a concern, and the person is at risk of hospital admission as a result (excluding sepsis requiring hospital admission hyperglycaemia/ketoacidosis |
| Unpaid carer breakdown | Provide healthcare where a carer who meets a person's healthcare needs is no longer able to do this and the person they care for now requires a two-hour crisis response. |
We take a no-wrong-door approach - if the team is unable to support, they will safely and quickly direct the individual, family or carer to the service that best meets their needs
How It Works
The UCR takes referrals from any health or social care professional including NHS 111 and the ambulance service. Self referrals are also accepted.
The UCR triage nurse will take appropriate information from the referrer and determine the type of response required.
To request support
Call : 01744 676767 or Email : contactcares@sthelens.gov.uk
Share this page
