Urgent and Emergency Care Centre pilot project proves worth at Rotherham Hospital

SCORES of people are avoiding unnecessary admission to hospital each month following the extension of a successful pilot project introduced by the council and health bosses.

A social worker posted to Rotherham Hospital has been talking to people waiting in the Urgent and Emergency Care Centre and helping direct them to other services and treatment options when appropriate.

The role — which the council hopes to make a permanent position — is currently helping up to 19 people avoid hospital admission a week, a meeting of the health and wellbeing board meeting heard.

The board’s chair, Cllr David Roche, said that preventing hospitalisations was a key way forward in tackling healthcare challenges.

The social worker provision was originally funded through the Better Care Fund for winter 2020-21 as a pilot and subsequently through Improved Better Care Fund winter funding, with the role now extended until the end of this March.

A spokesperson for Rotherham Council said: “The post covers Monday to Friday and we are looking at extending cover to seven days per week.

“We are currently exploring whether this can be made into a permanent post.

“The post sits with the integrated discharge team and works into the UECC as part of a community admission avoidance team with therapy and nursing staff.”

They said the role helped avoid admissions and speed up discharges from hospital, with early intervention and prevention, “assistive technology” and voluntary/charity organisations also involved.

The council also has an integrated discharge team “ensuring efficient and least restrictive discharge options and the offer of re-ablement” — helping people return to normal life again after being ill or in hospital.