1715 A Hospital at Home service working with care homes to triage acutely unwell patients

Abstract

Abstract Introduction The Acute clinical team (ACT) is a Hospital at Home (H@H) service and supports care homes to look after residents who are acutely unwell but residents were being inappropriately admitted instead of being referred to ACT. This was due to the lack of awareness among staff about ACT and GPs advising homes to call 999 due to their inability to see patients. Method ACT would phone all the care homes three times a week to ascertain if the care home had residents who were acutely unwell or not responding to treatment initiated by the GP. Residents who were identified would be triaged and either advice would be given or patient would be seen within 24 hours. Results The intervention took place from 20/03/23 to 30/04/23. Total number of referrals- 33. Average age- 87 years. 5/33 (15%) were given advice and 28/33 (85%) had face to face assessment. 29/33 remained at home. 4/33 were admitted 2 died. The 28/33 who received face to face assessments had received 106 GP consultations (most were virtual) within one month of referral equating to 3.7 consultations per patient. 8/28 patients had been discharged from hospital within 28 days of referral to ACT. ACT administered parenteral fluids 11/28 patients, Intravenous antibiotics 5/28, medication review with changes 14/28. Conclusion