The Urgent Community Response (UCR) team is part of our responsive services who provide urgent intervention to prevent acute hospital admission.
Urgent Community Response (UCR) service overview
If you are unwell you may be referred to this service for assessment and treatment in your own home environment to prevent unnecessary hospital admission.
You may have symptoms of a chest or urine infection or exacerbation of a long-term or complex health need.
The team provides visits across east Surrey. Using advanced skills they will undertake a holistic assessment for you and provide intense input for a period of up to three days.
What does the UCR service provide?
- Recovery from your illness at home and keeping yourself well: Our team will support you, ensuring a quick and effective response to your health needs right in the comfort of your home. By recovering at home, you can avoid going to the hospital and decrease the chance of getting infections that can happen there
- Your comfort matters: You’ll receive care where you're most comfortable - at home
- Your say in your care: You can make decisions together with your family and the team to ensure your needs and preferences are at the forefront
- Convenient tests at home: We’ll carry out point of care blood tests providing results within 2-3 minutes, full blood tests, ECGs and bladder scanning in the comfort of your own home
- Your satisfaction matters: You can enjoy improved satisfaction and faster recovery by receiving care in a familiar environment
- We're here for you: We will keep a close watch on your health, checking in regularly to identify any signs of deterioration in your health early on and respond to it quickly. While you're in our care, we assist with personal care and meal preparation to aid your recovery. Additionally, we will provide any necessary equipment to support you with daily activities on your own and become more independent
- Swift action when needed: You’ll receive quick intervention and same-day treatment for a prompt recovery
- Holistic care at your doorstep: We’ll provide ongoing support with referrals to other community teams if required
- Efficient referrals for specialised care: Trust our trained healthcare professionals for a reliable initial assessment, leading to faster referrals to specialist teams when necessary.
How to access the UCR service
Referrals to the service are accepted from GPs, the ambulance service and other healthcare professionals. You cannot self-refer to the service.
Referrals are triaged and assessed by the team. If clinically indicated, you will be seen within two hours, but you may also be seen later that day or the next day if required.
UCR team
The UCR service is a team of multiskilled health professionals comprising of advanced clinical practitioners, physiotherapists, nurses, paramedics and health care assistants.
Frailty Virtual Ward overview
The frailty virtual ward is a ‘hospital at home’ service working in close partnership with the acute hospital frailty team. It delivers the same level of treatment and care you need in hospital but can safely be supported at home. Stay on the ward is up to 14 days and may include virtual technology to aid monitoring of basic observations such as temperature, blood pressure and heart rate.
Find out more about virtual wards:
- https://www.surreyheartlands.org/virtual-wards
- https://www.surreyandsussex.nhs.uk/about-us/latest-news/introducing-virtual-wards-surrey-and-sussex-healthcare-nhs-trust
How to contact the service
Phone: 01737 775475
Hours of service
8am-8pm (last referral at 6pm) seven days a week 365 days a year.
Patient feedback
“The service is a wonderful way to ensure elderly people are kept out of hospital and treated promptly.”
“Your team gave excellent service and gave the patient great confidence in their competence.”
“Nurses were very thorough and kind with my mother- placing her needs front and centre.”