Acute Service Redesign Initiative 

Quality Improvement Initiative - IV pathway from acute medical services to community team to prevent unnecessary hospital admission - Chelsea and Westminster FT (West Middlesex Hospital site Ambulatory Emergency Care Team) in partnership with Hounslow and Richmond Community Healthcare Trust (Integrated Community Response Service)

A collaboration between admission prevention teams within separate organisations partnered to provide holistic care for the acutely unwell adult requiring IV treatments. The teams were based within the community: Integrated Care Response Service (ICRS) and the acute trust: Ambulatory Emergency Care (AEC).

This new initiative explored delivering intravenous treatments within the patient’s own home, including antibiotics/fluid therapy for conditions such as cellulitis, sepsis and dehydration. The MDT aimed to deliver safe, patient centred care outside the hospital avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions with associated costs.

The COVID pandemic made the need to avoid unnecessary admissions to hospital even more important.