Urgent Community Response (UCR) Teams are multi-disciplinary clinicians who respond to a crisis in somebody’s home (including residential and nursing homes), saving them an unnecessary admission to hospital.

They are a crucial service in Medway, both in helping people maintain their independence, and in easing the pressure on acute and emergency services. Patients can be referred to UCR Teams by a number of referrers including 999, 111, Emergency Departments, care homes, GPs and primary care providers.

UCR teams can draw on a wide range of Advanced Assessment and prescribing skills, and are made up of teams including, advanced clinical practitioners, specialist nurses, nursing associates, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paramedics and therapy assistants.

They will respond within 2hrs of referral if the criteria is met or within 48hrs of a referral being made if the criteria is met.

The service operates 7 days a week from 8am – 8pm.

Meet the team

The intensive, short-term, multi-disciplinary service is an amalgamation of a number of specialities to support patients in Medway.

The team specialities consist of:

  • Advanced Community Practitioners (ACP)
  • Community Paramedics
  • Therapists
  • Enablers
  • Care Managers
  • Phlebotomists
  • Dementia Crisis Admiral Nurses
  • GP Supported by MedOCC where required

Referral inclusion and exclusion

Inclusion criteria Exclusion criteria
  • All patients must be registered with a GP in Medway Community Healthcare
  • Simple infections
  • Minor illness and aliments
  • Urgent (non-acute) medical requirements
  • Falls / frailty / vulnerability
  • Simple trauma related wounds
  • Non-emergency respiratory conditions
  • Exacerbation of tong-term conditions
  • Non-injury falls (assistance from the floor)
  • Urgent bloods to guide diagnosis
  • Non-routine catheter management
  • Urgent provision of equipment i.e. commodes, walking frames & pressure relieving equipment
  • Urgent social care crisis
  • Urgent end of life crisis
  • Under 18 years of age
  • Acute Medical Emergency (e.g. sepsis)
  • Falls with suspected fracture or reduced consciousness, suspected trauma to head and on anticoagulant therapy
  • Mental health crisis

We use our advanced clinical assessment skills to complete a holistic assessment considering a patient’s psychological, physical and social needs. It may include us ordering, performing and interpreting common screening and diagnostic tests e.g. blood tests, ECGs. Once we have reached diagnosis we are able to provide prescriptions directly to patients when necessary to avoid any delay in treatment. A patients GP will be consulted with and kept fully informed of any treatment we provide.

We encourage patients to play a central role in managing their own care and helping them manage the health, emotional and social consequences of living with a long-term condition.

There is a collaborative process of shared decision making to agree goals and identify support needs, to ensure plans are in place to support a crisis and reduce the need for hospital admissions and ambulance calls.

How to be refereed to our service

Referrals can be made to our services by:

  • Your GP
  • Ambulance Service
  • NHS 11
  • MedOCC
  • Health & Social care professional
  • We also take referrals from clients who are open to other services within MCH.