Community Rapid Intervention Service celebrates fifth anniversary

Almost 85,000 Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent people have benefited from care at home and avoided an unnecessary hospital attendance or admission thanks to an integrated community health and care service launched five years ago. 

The Community Rapid Intervention Service (CRIS) is an integrated service provided by University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust (UHNM), Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust (MPFT), The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) for patients across the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated care system who are at risk of needing an admission into hospital and this week celebrated its fifth anniversary.

The service offers a professional helpline for GPs, Care Homes, West Midlands Ambulance Service, community teams and domiciliary care teams and allows them to refer patients for treatment within their own home.

Since launching the service has helped almost 80,000 people out of those referred avoid attending A&E.      

A team of specially trained Advanced Nurse Practitioners supervised for medical management from UHNM consultants, see patients in their own home within two hours of referral, treat and when required step them into the virtual wards avoiding admissions.

Lesley Roberts, Head of Nursing and Operations for CRIS, said: “Our service offers an alternative to attending A&E, and has helped improve the journey and outcome of almost 85,000 patients who were referred to through the single point of access.

“The last five years have been challenging, but also rewarding and exciting. I would like to thank the staff have come with us on this journey, and how they’ve expanded their scope of practice and prescribing under the guidance of UHNM’s medical consultants has been incredible. 

“The biggest achievement for us has been operating through Covid19. We were one of the last remaining patient-facing services during the pandemic, supporting Local Authorities, Care Homes and patients who needed to stay in their own homes rather than go to hospitals.

“We’re proud of what we’ve delivered for Staffordshire and will continue to provide a safe and quality service to our communities.”

Dr Zia Din, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at UHNM, said: “This collaborative service is providing enhanced urgent care to patients in the community, helping to reduce significant pressures on our emergency departments at Royal Stoke University Hospital and County Hospital, Stafford, and ensures patients receive the best care at their usual place of residence.

“Being admitted to hospital unnecessarily or staying longer than necessary can have a negative impact on how well patients recover and can often cause serious harm, impacting adversely on their health and wellbeing. Avoiding hospital admissions reduces the risk of deconditioning, acquiring infections and potentially needing long-term care.”