Community health to be expanded over winter

Nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers in the Rapid Assessment and Intervention Team will be involved in the programme.

Together with the SCT Night Sitting Service, it will mean a 24-hour service will be provided, seven days a week, including the Christmas period and new year.

Jane Mules, deputy director of operations, adult services, Sussex Community NHS Trust, said: “The scaling up of our services will help us reach and treat more patients in need.

“Without this extra support, many patients would visit A&E.

“Instead GPs can refer their patients to our community health services and our teams also visit patients in care and nursing homes.”

A new team at Worthing A&E – the Community Liaison Service Team (CLST) – is working with A&E staff to refer patients to the most appropriate community service, to help reduce hospital admissions.