NHS hubs curb Kent hospital admissions
It has meant ambulances can respond to those who need emergency care most
An NHS trial in Kent has led to thousands avoiding unnecessary trips to A and E.
The so-called 'clinical hubs' connect teams from different healthcare departments to make sure 999 callers are getting the right care more quickly.
SECAmb operates two Unscheduled Care Navigation Hubs (UCNHs) in Ashford and Paddock Wood covering east and west Kent.
The hub in Paddock Wood has lead to 1,200 people avoiding admission.
They are now popping up in Sussex after the successful trial period in Kent.
SECAmb Operating Unit Manager for East Sussex, Richard Harker, said:
“I am pleased that we will soon be operating a hub from Polegate and that local people will start to benefit from us bringing multiple disciplines together to ensure our patients are being assessed and treated in the most appropriate place for their condition.
The approach should also free up ambulance crews to respond to the most seriously ill and injured patients and reduce demand on emergency departments.”
Dr James Ramsay, Chief Medical Officer at NHS Sussex, said "high quality and safe" care is “our absolute priority":
"We are confident that a greater number of people will be assessed and treated in the most appropriate place for their condition as these two new hubs open.
“Through the collaboration across health services – ambulance, hospital, and community – we will be able to better assess people’s healthcare needs and ensure that they receive the best possible care, avoiding being admitted to hospital if they can be best supported at home or in the community.
“As we collectively work to improve access for people to urgent and emergency care, this is a positive step forward in delivering our agreed five-year strategy for health and care services in Sussex – Improving Lives Together – for our population.”