The Integrated Community Response Service (ICRS) aims to prevent people from being admitted to hospital if they don’t need to be.
When someone does need to be treated in hospital, we help them to be discharged as soon as possible to continue their care at home.
If you are referred into our service, we aim to support you at home for up to 7 days and prevent you from going into hospital unnecessarily.
On initial assessment, we aim to stabilise your care and start treatment for your needs before referring on to an appropriate community team if needed.
How we prevent admission to hospital
- Assessing your immediate medical needs and providing care in your own home.
- Assessing how you are managing around the home - your mobility.
- Providing appropriate equipment.
- Assessing for social care and support where there may have been a breakdown in usual care arrangements or if you are unwell.
- Providing advice and information about how you can safely manage your own health.
Important: As we are a prevention of admission and complex discharge team, we may not always make contact before visiting.
Referrals
Referrals should be made using the HRCH referral form via the Single Point of Access service, except London Ambulance Service and 111 which have their own North West London SPA.
We also accept telephone referrals directly into the team.
We appreciate the inclusion of discharge summaries, clinic letters and functional reports as appropriate.
Health and social care professionals, the patient, a relative, or concerned others can refer a patient to the service.
Patients must be:
- registered with a Hounslow GP
- over the age of 18 years (including people with a learning disability)
For patients who need rapid assessment, intervention or rehabilitation within their chosen environment within two hours of receipt of referral following an immediate crisis and need for health intervention or breakdown of social care.
Crisis response for patients in the community who need rapid access to services to prevent further deterioration or readmission to hospital.
Support for patients returning home from an emergency department attendance who need rapid assessment, intervention or rehabilitation in A&E following an immediate crisis and need for health intervention or breakdown of social care to prevent admission.
Virtual wards, otherwise known as Hospital at Home, provide a safe alternative to hospital for patients living with frailty through community-based acute health and care delivery.