The NHS Western Isles has introduced a new short film and website to showcase its local Integrated Front Door Service (IFDS). This service offers hospital-level urgent assessment, treatment, and support to patients within their own homes, ensuring they receive appropriate care at the right time and place.
The IFDS approach integrates community, hospital, and emergency services to identify the most suitable care pathway for each patient. This includes providing assessment, treatment, and ongoing care closer to home when safe and appropriate, thereby reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. The service aims to benefit patients who prefer to be treated at home, facilitate earlier hospital discharge for recovery, lower the risk of hospital-acquired infections, and help vulnerable patients maintain independence by reducing deconditioning.
The IFDS comprises several key components, including Hospital at Home, Urgent & Unscheduled Care (U&UC), Frailty Practitioners, and the Acute Assessment Unit (AAU). It also collaborates with various agencies and services such as GPs, Community Nursing, the Scottish Ambulance Service, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, and the voluntary sector.
Over the past six months, the service has shown significant impact in the Western Isles. Key achievements include avoiding 82 A&E attendances through home-based support managed by IFDS in collaboration with the Scottish Ambulance Service. Additionally, 1,563 days of acute hospital-level care were delivered at home via Hospital at Home, and 97 Comprehensive Geriatric Assessments were completed to identify patient needs and connect them with appropriate support services.
The initiative's objectives are to minimise unnecessary travel and A&E attendances, prevent avoidable hospital admissions, identify frailty and care needs earlier, and alleviate pressure on hospital services and inpatient beds through more integrated care.
“"The support we have received from colleagues as we have developed the Integrated Front Door has been fantastic. It has been great to see teams embracing new ways of working together and we are excited to see the difference this collaboration will make to patient care and experience."
“"The support we have received from colleagues as we have developed the Integrated Front Door has been fantastic. It has been great to see teams embracing new ways of working together and we are excited to see the difference this collaboration will make to patient care and experience."
Further details on the local IFDS are available on the NHS Western Isles website.
