West Essex RIS Car Awarded New 5 Year Contract

The Trust is excited to announce that the West Essex flagship Rapid Intervention Service (RIS) has just been awarded a new £1.75-million up to 5-year contract following a tender process.

The team, consisting of Advanced and Specialist Paramedics, work as part of the local admission avoidance strategy on 3 cars covering the Harlow, Epping and Waltham Abbey PCNs. The service supports local GPs practices by providing urgent face-to-face interventions for acutely unwell patients, who would normally require an ambulance. The team are linked into the Urgent Community Response teams and can receive referrals from GPs, EEAST crews, Virtual ward/Virtual Hospital, Community Access to the Stack, Community Teams and Care Homes.

Following the initial concept in 2017, the car can set up reablement care packages, physio, OT and palliative care when required. Our RIS clinicians are able to perform near side blood and MSU testing, and review patients enabling them to deliver outstanding care in the community. There has been evidence to show that this innovative scheme has led to a reduction of 17% acute admissions into the local ED, with a remarkable 80% of patients discharged on scene.

We would like to take this opportunity to thanks all the staff involved for their dedication, hard work and professionalism in making this this service such a success as we look forward to the next 5 years development of the service.

Published 7th February 2023