End of Life Care Case study_Case Study 17/06/2010 15:27 Page 1

25 years supporting the NHS

Developing end of life services in

Northamptonshire
NHS Northamptonshire are at the forefront of
delivering Pro Active Care for the local population.
As one of the 16 Integrated Care Pilots, NHS
Northamptonshire and the well-developed practice-
based consortium, Nene Commissioning, are leading
the way in caring for patients in their own homes to
avoid a hospital admission and facilitate early
discharge.

Part of this work is to develop services for patients

nearing the end of their lives that do not choose to
die in acute hospitals, but would prefer to die in their
own homes.

Following extensive work with patients, carers,

clinicians, social care workers and third sector
organisations, Nene Commissioning, who led the
procurement process developed a service specification
and carried out a thorough procurement process.

Primecare partnership with Age Concern

Primecare teamed up with Age Concern
Northamptonshire and have been awarded a contract
to provide a Care Co-ordination Centre and Rapid
Response Service for patients in the last eight weeks
of life.

The Care Co-ordination Centre

The Centre is based in Birmingham and supports health
care professionals in co-ordinating the care for patients
nearing the end of their lives. They will arrange for
elements of the care plan to be in place which has been
agreed by a clinician and the patient or carer.
The Centre has access to a full directory of services
including GP details, hospices, voluntary groups,
charities and hospitals to help the health care
professional with their referrals. They can also arrange
referral to community teams, the GP out of hours
service and the Rapid Response Service.
Service features
• 24/7 telephone service
• For referrals from health care professionals
• Senior call handlers co-ordinate the care plan
• Patient / carer can telephone for help and support
• Full directory of services
• Retain care plans
• Signposting to local services
• Calls answered in 90 seconds
• Inform patient’s GP practice
End of Life Care Case study_Case Study 17/06/2010 15:27 Page 2

The Rapid Response Service

The Service provides fast access to senior nurses and
care workers who will visit patient’s homes within an
hour to provide treatment and support. Link nurses are
in place at the two main acute hospitals in
Northamptonshire to identify patients who are in the
last eight weeks of life and who wish to and could be
cared for in their own homes. The link nurses work with
the local discharge and specialist palliative care teams
to ensure seamless care for patients and their families.
The Rapid Response Service provides clinical and non
clinical care on an urgent basis to reduce the need for
hospital admission.

Service features
• Operates 8am – 1am, 365 days a year
• Link nurses at Northampton General and Kettering
General Hospitals
• For clinical and non clinical urgent care needs
• Care assistants provided by Age Concern
• Complements current services
• Advanced Nurse Practitioners, Health Care Assistants
and Care Assistants
• Visit to patient within 60 minutes

Aims...

• Increase the number of deaths that occur

at home by 10%.
• Decrease the number of deaths in
hospital to 43%.
• Support 600 patients per year to die at
home instead of hospital by 2013.

www.primecare.uk.net