Our teams provide high-quality care to patients in their own homes or where they live.
There is support available which means you may avoid going into hospital or return home more quickly for further treatment following a hospital stay.
This is better for you because evidence shows that patients have better outcomes when they are in their own homes.
Our community teams have been working in people’s own homes for many years so are experts at caring for you in this way.
A wide range of healthcare professionals work together to ensure all aspects of your care are covered.
We run a single point of access system. This means there is one phone number to call if any health and care partners need support with a patient. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The patient can then be supported by whichever service is most appropriate. This could be a virtual ward, an urgent community response, Care Point, district nursing teams or social care from our Care Northumbria team.
Virtual wards provide hospital-level care but in the comfort of your own home.
Here at Northumbria, if you are a patient of our virtual ward, you can expect the same safe and effective care as we provide in our hospitals.
Various healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, therapists and pharmacists, may visit you at your home to provide treatments, carry out tests and assessments, or check on your condition.
You may also have online or telephone appointments and consultations.
In certain cases, you may be given special equipment so that you can be monitored remotely by our teams.
More information is available here.
What is a virtual ward?
What does it mean for patients?
Our urgent community response service means certain patients can be assessed within two hours.
Typical examples might include, but are not limited to:
- Falls with no serious injury
- Frailty symptoms getting worse
- Palliative / end-of-life care
- Confusion / delirium
- Urgent catheter care
- Urgent support for diabetes
- Unpaid carer breakdown
- Serious reduction in function or movement
- Urgent equipment provision for a patient in crisis
It can help to avoid patients having to go into hospital where their care can be provided where they live.
The Home Safe (Northumberland) & CarePoint (North Tyneside) teams are joint health and social care services based in our hospitals. Northumbria Healthcare works in partnership with the local councils in Northumberland & North Tyneside. The teams support patients who need extra support in moving home from hospital.
The team includes social workers, social work support assistants, discharge nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists. They work together to support your discharge once the medical team feel you are well enough to leave hospital.
The team will help arrange any ongoing care and support you need. They will help rebuild your skills such as washing, dressing, preparing a meal/snack etc. They will help improve your mobility and confidence.
More information is available here.
What is facilitated discharge?
How does it help patients?
Short Term Support Service (STSS) is a team of physiotherapists, technical instructors, occupational therapists and reablement staff. It is a joint team between our trust and Northumberland County Council.
They aim to support adults who are mainly house-bound. They provide assessment and rehab to support patients to stay at home as independently as possible
People may have a long-term condition or disability that is worsening. They could have a newly diagnosed condition or disability. Or they may be recovering after a trauma, injury or illness.
This service can be accessed by contacting OneCall on
More information is available here.
Intermediate care units help people recover from illness and injury while increasing their independence.
Wherever possible, support is provided in people’s own homes. On some occasions, this is not possible, and a patient will need a short spell of focused rehab in an inpatient unit. There are currently 3 intermediate care units across Northumberland and North Tyneside
More information on the units is available here.
Our elderly assessment unit cares for frail patients in Northumberland. It supports people who may otherwise have gone to A&E. It accepts referrals from GPs and community services. Other referrals come from the ambulance service.
The unit is for over 65-year-olds who need medical assessment and treatment, but do not need an emergency admission to hospital. The unit is led by specialist nurses, with consultant oversight. Therapy staff may work with you to support you to return home, providing a short period of rehab if needed.
The elderly assessment unit is run by the trust's frailty service. It is supported by the community response services team.