Services

Kirklees to benefit from community-based urgent care service

Kirklees will receive new funding to develop a community-based urgent care service for some of some of the most vulnerable patients, including those who are frail, elderly or have multiple long-term conditions.


Under plans announced this week, local NHS, council and community service teams (including teams in Locala) will work together to develop the service, which will ensure urgent health and social care support is available within two hours to help the elderly and those with complex needs remain well at home and avoid hospital admissions.
The service will also ensure people receive tailored packages of care designed to restore independence and confidence after a hospital stay, within two days.


Kirklees is one of seven national ‘accelerator’ sites which will receive a share of a £14 million national investment.  The funding is part of a commitment set out in the NHS Long Term Plan to help keep older people well at home and reduce pressure on hospital services.


Carol McKenna, Chief Officer for NHS Greater Huddersfield and NHS North Kirklees CCGs said; “We’re delighted to have been selected as one of the national accelerator sites.  This reflects the integrated approach being taken in Kirklees, where the CCGs are already working closely with partners including GP practices, Kirklees Council and community service providers.


“The additional funding will help us to deliver more care and support closer to home and reduce pressure on local hospitals.   It also means that Kirklees will be amongst the first areas in the country to meet a new NHS standard for urgent community health services."


Councillor Musarrat Khan, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Kirklees Council, said; “I am really pleased that Kirklees has been announced as one of seven pilot sites in England to be an Urgent Community Response Accelerator Site.  We already work closely with our partners in the NHS, Locala and with social care providers to enable people to remain in their own homes.  This announcement enables us to take this work to the next level and test out ways in which we can enhance our work to avoid people needing to be admitted to hospital by providing a rapid health and care response.  We look forward to being able to share our learning nationally as part of the pilot as well as gaining insights from elsewhere in the country.”


Helen Carr, Lead Provider of Kirklees Provider Alliance, said; “Kirklees Provider Alliance is delighted to be working with partners across the borough to develop and deliver this new service.   It will be a fantastic opportunity to transform urgent community response health and social care services for the Kirklees population and affords the opportunity to upscale the service to a wider footprint across the West Yorkshire and Harrogate Care Partnership”.


Rob Webster, CEO Lead for West Yorkshire and Harrogate Health and Care Partnership, said; “This investment in Kirklees as one of seven national accelerator sites is good for Kirklees and for West Yorkshire and Harrogate. Improving the lives of people through ageing well and supporting more people to remain independent at home is a priority to us all.


“This investment will support the testing out of new approaches, including faster access to community services for older people with an urgent need. Any learning will be adopted by the Partnership to support thousands more people and reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. This is linked to the other ‘ageing well’ programmes across West Yorkshire and Harrogate and demonstrates the power of partnerships.”