West Lancashire’s Integrated Urgent Community Response Service went live on Friday 1 April, delivering the NHS England two-hour urgent community response.

The service, run by HCRG Care Group on behalf of NHS West Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, is supporting patients to remain at home and prevent hospital admissions. 

The West Lancashire CERT & SISS teams have now merged and become the Integrated Urgent Community Response Service (UCR). The service delivers a two-hour response to a sudden deterioration in a person's condition that increases the risk of them having to go into hospital.

Advanced clinicians, therapists and nurses can carry out assessments, investigations, diagnose, prescribe and order equipment within two hours of referral. The service is available 8am-8pm 7 days a week.

What conditions are suitable for referral?

GPs who think a patient might be admitted to hospital unless they are seen within two hours, can call the UCR team. 

Here’s a list of the most probable scenarios:

•    Fall with no apparent serious injury
•    Exacerbation of existing condition
•    Reduced function/ deconditioning/reduced mobility
•    Palliative/end of life care crisis support (where core services not available) Confusion/delirium
•    Urgent catheter care
•    Urgent support for diabetes
•    Urgent equipment provision