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Rapid access service
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About the service
The rapid access service team acts as a single point of access for all referrals to older peoples services 365 days a year.
We provide an initial assessment for all service users presenting with mental health needs and signpost them to the most appropriate care. This includes referrals for the Wakefield memory service for individuals over the age of 65.
Rapid access provides a comprehensive service that includes initial assessment, crisis work and home-based treatment.
The majority of assessments we do take place in the client’s home but they may also be facilitated in a clinic setting, care home or general hospital. Where possible family members or carers will be encouraged to participate if we have the service users consent.
Home-based treatment is used to help in crisis situations and prevent unnecessary hospital admission. This may include the provision of an overnight care support worker to provide observation and maintain the safety of the individual.
We recognise the need for multi-agency working and actively encourage and promote this by working jointly with partner agencies.
Why would someone choose the service?
We respond in a timely and compassionate manner to every referral to our service. Our highly qualified staff provide clinical assessments that give service users and carers maximum choice and support them to remain at home wherever possible.
We ensure that service users are always involved in decisions made about their care or treatment.
Service users are always treated with the utmost dignity and respect by members of staff who will help you work at your own pace throughout your care.
We won a West Yorkshire Modernisation award for service redesign in 2006.
Staff you may meet
- Administrative staff provide essential support to doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. This can be in a variety of different settings, with administrators working as a receptionist in a clinic or a clerk on a ward. They may also be working closely with a consultant as a medical secretary.
- Dietitians use the science of food to help people to make good choices about food and lifestyle. Nutrition is an important part of recovery and wellbeing. All service users admitted to a Trust ward have their nutritional state assessed.
- There are more than 60 different specialities that doctors work within the NHS. Each is unique but there are many characteristics which are common. Roles range from working in a hospital to being based in the community as a GP.
- There are many people who work behind the scenes to keep services running and you may meet them in hospital or community settings. They include porters, cleaners, plumbers, electricians, decorators receptionists and secretaries who all work to make sure healthcare settings are kept clean, tidy and safe.
- Nurses who choose to specialise in the mental health branch of nursing work with GPs, psychiatrists, psychologists, and others, to help care for patients. Increasingly, care is given in the community, with mental health nurses visiting patients and their families at home, in residential centres, in prisons or in specialist clinics or units.
- Nursing or healthcare assistants work in hospital or community settings under the guidance of a qualified healthcare professional. They help doctors, nurses and therapists give people the care and treatment they need.
- Adult psychotherapists work with people to assess and treat a range of emotional, social or mental health issues. They help people tackle problems such as behavioural issues, common challenges such as anxiety and depression or more complex or severe issues, such as psychosis or a personality disorder diagnosis.
Why a professional should choose the service
We act as the Single Point of Access to mental health services for older people in Wakefield provide a timely and comprehensive initial assessment that enables service users to be signposted to the most appropriate care pathway.
All non-urgent referrals for assessment are seen within 14 days meeting the regional CQUIN indicator 2.
We consistently meet our CQUIN target of more than 95% of patients being seen within four hours.
We complete a falls assessment (FRAT tool) for every service user and ensure that their safety is at the heart of the care we provide. We consistently achieve best practice indicators as set out in the Essence of Care.
96% of our staff have received training in information governance, fire safety, safeguarding children and adults, and medicines with respect.
We consistently offer flexible appointment times and choice of venues to enable service users to get the right care at the right time.
Support offered
We offer a range of support and interventions to people accessing our service, including:
- Initial assessment and reviews
- Home-based treatment
- Crisis intervention
- Advice and support for family and carers
- Referral to other Trust services
- Education sessions
- Self-care skills
- Social skills
- Recreational activities
- Health screening (which can include blood tests, electrocardiogram and bladder scans)
- Supportive telephone contact for service users and carers
Outcomes
We provide short-term home-based treatments to help service users during crisis situations and help to avoid any unnecessary admission to hospital.
By providing a definitive diagnosis of an individual’s condition we hope to improve their confidence and give them the necessary self-management and self-care skills to take control of their condition and prevent future relapse.
An important aspect of our service is to ensure that service users’ physical health is given the same level of attention as their mental health. We ensure that we monitor the physical health of our services users and give them appropriate advice and signpost to other services. We encourage them to engage with community services once they have been discharged from our service.
We also provide support and advice to family and carers throughout their loved ones care.
Referrals accepted from:
A & E, GP staff, GPs, Hospital staff, Local authority staff, Other NHS services, Other Trust services, Police
Referrals also accepted from:
Referrals also accepted from social services, community matrons, care home managers, intermediate care facilities and acute trusts.
Referral criteria:
We accept referrals for any person over the age of 65 with a potential mental health issue. This also includes those under 65 where a diagnosis of early onset dementia is suspected.
Urgent referrals to our service are seen within four hours and can be made by telephone or by fax. Routine referrals are seen within 14 days and service users referred for our memory service are seen within six weeks.