L&D Frailty Admission Advice Line Pilot

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From 9th March, EEAST and the Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will be piloting a new collaborative agreement to support frail patients who are being transported to Luton and Dunstable (L&D) Hospital.

Ambulance clinicians based in South Bedfordshire who are attending frail patients (with a frailty defined as Rockwood score 5 or greater) outside of a hospital setting now have the option to call a dedicated L&D Frailty Advice Line for further guidance and support from a hospital consultant or senior frailty nurse.

The specialist advice provided by the consultant or senior nurse is not usually accessible to EEAST frontline crews. It will be utilised as part of a joint decision-making approach between the on-scene crew’s assessment of the patient and the consultant’s advice based on their evaluation.

The consultant will advise on one of three potential outcomes:

  1. Do not convey the patient, discharge on scene with appropriate prevention of admission care or treatment put in place, i.e. referral to the patient’s GP or other services, including social care services;

  1. Convey the patient, but bypass ED and go straight to the appropriate ward or assessment area, potentially with an appointment, to avoid unnecessary impact to flow through ED;

  1. Convey the patient to ED as the consultant deems the severity of the patient's condition sufficient to warrant this. The consultant can advise ED of the incoming patient.

 Please note: 

This must not delay immediate treatment for a time-critical patient, such as a MI, stroke or fracture.

Although collaborating with the L&D Hospital, clinical responsibility for the patient remains with the attending EEAST clinician. Discharges of care at the scene will remain in line with EEAST’s Non-Conveyance and Discharge of Care Policy

More information can be found within the clinical guidance here and the risk assessment here.

If you require further information, please speak to your local management team. 


You can contact the Frailty Advice Line on:

07971 037 491

Mon- Thurs: 08.00- 20.00

Friday: 09.00 -17.00

During the trial period, this phone line will not be recorded.

 

Once a referral has been made, please record via this MS form.

Please remember, the advice line is currently only available for crews transporting patients to Luton and Dunstable Hospital.

*Patients accepted as frailty expected, but arriving outside of frailty team working hours will be handed over to be medical expected patients

Published 3rd March 2021