An innovative approach to intermediate care in Doncaster

A single coordinated response to urgent care is resulting in fewer people needing long-term care and more people staying at home after receiving intermediate care in their communities.

Health and social care partners in Doncaster identified that their intermediate care services, including care for people with dementia, were too complicated, difficult to navigate and inefficient. They also found that 50% of people aged over 75 admitted to hospital could have been better supported at home.

The Doncaster team

They now have a single coordinated response to support an individual to stay at home. This includes increased capacity, an integrated care record and routing referrals for community support through a single point of access.

As a result of these changes the number of journeys by ambulances to emergency departments following a 999 call due to a fall, fell by 15% in

2017-18 for patients aged 65 and over and as at December 2018, has reduced by a further 14%. In addition, the number of unplanned hospital admissions for people aged 65 and over for trauma and orthopaedics has also fallen by around 17% in the last two years. Fewer people are needing long-term care and more people are staying at home after receiving intermediate care in their communities.