Care Home Enhanced Rapid Response Service (CHERRS)

CHERRS provides a rapid response urgent and unscheduled care visiting service staffed by experienced Clinical Practitioners to support patients in care homes with acute presentations of injury or illness who, if not visited rapidly are at risk of admission or attendance to secondary care.

The aim of this service is to reduce inappropriate admissions to hospital, reduce ambulance attendances, GP urgent home visits and inappropriate use of 111 which is achieved through a combined proactive and reactive approach:

• Reactive - Provide a rapid response visiting service to acute presentations of injury or illness for patients residing in a care home who, if they are not visited rapidly are at risk of admission or attendance to secondary care
• Proactive - Engagement, education and formal training to care home staff. Aimed at early detection of illness and improved management of complex conditions with better navigation of current community pathways. Including increased awareness of Emergency Health Care Plans (EHCP) and the accurate collation and presentation of baseline observations.

The service operates between the hours of 8am to 6pm seven days a week and is based on a specific referral criteria. The service is delivered by appropriately experienced and skilled CHEERS clinicians; Advanced Nurse Practitioners (ANP) and Emergency Care Practitioners (ECP).

GP practices, community nursing teams and the ambulance/paramedic service are able to refer patients to the service who in their clinical opinion require an urgent visit which, if delayed might result in an A&E attendance or hospital admission that may not be in the best interest of the patient by calling in the following number: 01642 939 512 between 8am and 6pm

Patients are prioritised based on clinical need and receive a contact from the CHERRS team within 2 hours from initial referral. On occasions the CHERRS clinician may require additional information from the patients GP.

The CHERRS team do undertake review visits for patients, especially those prescribed antibiotics. We may on occasion provide further follow up which the CHERRS clinician decides is clinically appropriate.  The CHERRS clinician may contact the care home patient’s own GP practice after seeing the patient and discuss any urgent primary care intervention or onward referral is required.

Key Contact Details for the CHERRS Service

Appointment booking number

ELM CHERRS Clinical triage referral line - Tel: 01642 939 512 between 8am and 6pm

General Enquiries about the CHERRS Service

Jane Seaton, CHERRS Clinical Lead