Thirteen services in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset have come together to contribute to research undertaken by PenCLAHRC. This collaborative study looking at regional Rapid Intervention Services has now inspired the development of a new peer support network.
Due to increased pressures on Emergency Departments, Rapid Intervention Services have developed over recent years to provide rapid, acute support to patients so that they can be treated without the need for hospital admissions. However, there is little information available locally on their effectiveness and configuration.
The Mapping Community Rapid Intervention Services (CRIS) project arose from the PenCLAHRC research prioritisation process. As the project progressed, it evolved to meet a gap in knowledge sharing about these health systems within the South West region.
Service providers and service commissioners from across the region were called upon to share details of how their services developed, how they are structured and integrated with traditional systems, and their thoughts on what creates success.
This investigation highlighted that services had evolved differently to cater for specific local demand, rather than having a consistent approach across the region. However, it was discovered that teams were working towards a shared goal of adopting a more integrated approach to patient care.
These outcomes were presented at a shared learning event. This event brought together those who had engaged with the project, as well as other stakeholders with an interest in discussing the findings.
Dawn Swancutt, Project Lead of CRIS said:
“The diversity of initiatives to support patients outside the usual hospital setting is impressive and it’s inspiring to see the many ways service leaders in our region are developing these. Bringing leaders of these services together to learn from one another will hopefully contribute to ongoing success in our region.”
The learning event allowed attendees to share information and experiences and facilitated the development of a network of people with a shared interest in admissions avoidance. The formation of a peer network will enable members to share resources, information and knowledge. It is hoped that this network may assist service providers with developing their approaches further.
Su Skelly, Operational Manager at the Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust said of the development of the peer support network:
“The peer network provides a really valuable opportunity to network with local colleagues, sharing best practise, new ideas and learning from each other’s successes and challenges. I find it a really useful forum to share operational issues and gain some peer support.”
To find out more about this project, please visit the project page or if you are interested in joining the peer network, please contact Su Skelly or Tina Monro.