Christmas Tales from the Frontline

Where’s the care when you need it

“I need the rapid response team to help prevent an urgent admission,” I say.

“What’s the problem?” the response team member asks.

“Well, this lady was seen in casualty last night and has had a fall, has a couple of broken ribs, is in pain, and is slightly confused and lives alone,” I say.

“The issue she is having is great difficulty doing any tasks, even reaching the toilet is a problem, she’s also confused and has a UTI that wasn’t addressed - she needs social care support within 2 hours to prevent hospital admission,” I say.

“The slight problem is we can’t do it in 2 hours; we could do it in 72, as we have no capacity,” comes the response

“However, if you admit her to the hospital, they’ll probably arrange it much faster.”

A lack of adequate social services contributes significantly to preventable hospital admissions, placing unnecessary strain on already stretched healthcare systems - minor or manageable issues can quickly escalate into medical crises. In many cases, hospital admission …