Urgent Community Response Service

Urgent Community Response Service (previously known as Rapid Response & Treatment Team, and Rapid Response Team)

The Urgent Community Response service is a community-based crisis response service provided by a multi-skilled team to people in their usual place of residence with an urgent care need (required within two hours) and involves an assessment and short-term intervention(s).

The two-hour response is designed to reduce preventable hospital admission. The referral source will typically be from general practice, A&E/same day emergency care, frailty assessment units, ambulance services, or community-based health and social care.

If a person resides in their own home or a care home and experiences a sudden illness or a deterioration of a chronic illness fitting with the inclusion criteria and are stable to remain in their own home, then the team will visit for an assessment to determine what intervention may be needed from the multi-skilled team to prevent an unplanned hospital admission. This may include relevant equipment, a short-term package of care (for people in their own homes), or medical intervention. 

Inclusion Criteria

  • Fall ​
  • Decompensation of frailty​
  • Reduced function/deconditioning/reduced mobility​
  • Palliative/end of life crisis support​
  • Urgent equipment provision​
  • Confusion/delirium e.g. acute infection​
  • Urgent support for diabetes​
  • Unpaid carer breakdown, which if not resolved will result in a health care crisis for the person they care for ​ 

Exclusion criteria​

  • Self referrals, unless via 111​
  • People under 18 years of age ​
  • Residents without a Berkshire West GP​
  • Is acutely unwell or injured, requiring emergency care intervention and an admission into an acute hospital bed​
  • Is experiencing a mental health crisis and requires referral/ assessment by a specialist mental health team
  • Needs acute/complex diagnostics and clinical intervention for patient safety in hospital

Contact details

Referrals for the Urgent Community Response service is via the Integrated Hub.

Hours of service: 8am-8pm, 7days/week, 365 days/year.

Call 0300 365 1234

Email Integratedhub@berkshire.nhs.uk


Phone number    0300 365 1234

Email address   Integratedhub@berkshire.nhs.uk

Phone number    The Old Forge, 45-47 Peach Street, Wokingham RG40 1XJ