Community Signposting Services Pilot

Our EEAST Charity has been awarded a grant of £116,624 from NHS Charities Together, to pilot a signposting programme for patients with unmet needs to wider community support pathways.

Crews regularly attend calls within the community where individual needs might not meet any formal threshold for social or community support. Examples include those living with loneliness, self-isolation, lack of carer respite or inability to carry out activities that support the functions of normal daily life. These hidden needs often present during a conversation between the patient and the crews and our staff and volunteers regularly go above and beyond to support patient when there is no designated service to formally recognise and support them.

This situation can lead to repeat 999 callers, or patients assigned to alternative pathways which may meet visible needs, but not necessarily meet their hidden needs. Duncan Moore, from the clinical lead team said “with an ever-changing demand being placed upon clinicians that respond to the community on behalf of EEAST, any additional innovation that supports them to ensure the patient, family and/or carers needs can be better met is very much welcomed. “

The funds have been awarded thanks to the Ambulance Grants Programme which was launched by NHS Charities Together in March 2021 in recognition of the vital work that ambulance charities do to support the work of the NHS. Thanks to the support of the public, the grant is part of £7m which has been allocated by population across all the ambulance charities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The pilot will include the introduction of an Unmet Needs Navigator Team to bridge the gap for low acuity patients and enable them to access social and community support, particularly when they are not aware it exists.

When an unmet need is identified by patient facing crews or CFRs, service users will be given the opportunity to be contacted by the Navigator Team. The team in turn will contact the individual following the attendance, where they will talk through possible help and support available to them. In turn, the Navigator Team will guide the patient to agencies who will be able to support their evident needs. It is hoped the project will identify gaps in services from the patient’s perspective, enhancing community resilience and in turn, aims to help assist networks with community and social support providers.

COVID-19 has had a detrimental impact on social isolation, impacting both physical health and mental health, and is evident in the increase in demand on our healthcare system. The scheme will run initially as an 18-month pilot and will assist in providing the right care in the right place, and by the right service, to reduce pressure on NHS services across the region.

EEAST are engaging with community and social pathways to develop a framework of trusted partners to support this exciting project. Partners will include services such as local authorities, social care partners, link workers and integrated care bodies.

If you are interested in finding out more about how your organisation could be involved to support this initiative, an interactive engagement session will be held in June. To register your interest please email unmetneeds@eastamb.nhs.uk

The East of England Ambulance Service Charity operates for the benefit of staff, volunteers and the local communities in the East of England, providing enhancements to welfare and amenities, including training equipment and materials, care packages and wellbeing spaces, in addition to equipping and supporting CFR groups across the East of England region.

To find out more about East of England Ambulance Service Charity visit Charitable fund (eastamb.nhs.uk).

NHS Charities Together is the national independent charity caring for the NHS. Visit www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk to learn more.