NHS teams in Worthing to expand services

Nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and social workers who provide rapid and urgent assessment of patients will be involved in the expansion along with the SCT Night Sitting Service to provide 24 hour service, seven days a week, including Christmas and New Year.

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.

Over two weeks this October, the CLST team prevented 51 admissions to Worthing Hospital and discharged 47 patients safely to an appropriate community service.

In addition, a team of admission avoidance matrons work with care and nursing homes to help ensure their residents receive the most appropriate community care at home rather than be admitted to hospital.

Jane Mules, deputy director of operations, adult services, Sussex Community NHS Trust, said: “The cold weather brings with it a host of medical issues, such as fractures, chest infections and viruses that can affect our most vulnerable and elderly patients.

“Our aim is to care for our patients at home to prevent inappropriate hospital admissions.”