Winner

East Midlands Ambulance Service Trust: Cycle response unit in Northampton town

Cycle response units have proved to be a way of offering fast ambulance service response times in areas with high call volumes and built up pedestrianised areas.

Staff from the East Midlands Ambulance Service Trust therefore decided to trial such a setup in Northampton. The aim was to contribute to high level performance by offering timely, quality care and management of patients – while also ensuring a visible, approachable and community based service.

The service was set up by one paramedic, with the CRU responding to all categories of 999 emergency calls. While not doing so, the responder proactively engaged with the local community, offering health advice to hard to reach groups such as homeless people. Frequent 999 callers were also a key area of focus, with health promotion and education on other pathways, which could meet their needs.

As a result, attendances at the emergency department and 999 calls were both reduced. It was calculated that £8,000 was saved over the initial 10 weeks the CRU was in place. Following the successful trial period, the CRU has now been further implemented across Northampton.

To read this entry in full visit HSJ Solutions.

Click here for more details on the HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2018.

Finalists

  • Birmingham Community Healthcare Foundation Trust: Introduction of sepsis screening tool and the national early warning score
  • Cardiff and Vale University Health Board: Individualised Strength and Balance Programmes for reducing falls in the community
  • East Midlands Academic Health Science Network: Implementing an international benchmarking tool into UK care homes to improve safety
  • Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust: SPUR (Sefton Pressure Ulcer Reminder)
  • Norfolk Community Health and Care Trust: Prevention of pressure ulcers for patients in the community
  • Oxford Academic Health Science Network Patient Safety Collaborative and East Berkshire Clinical Commissioning Group: Reducing urinary tract infections through hydration
  • Spectrum Community Health CIC: Building recovery in the community
  • The Pennine Acute Hospitals Trust: North Manchester Macmillan palliative care support service
  • Urgent Care 24: Improving sepsis management by using NEWS in out of hours primary care

Topics

HSJ Patient Safety Awards 2018 winners