Acute Respiratory Infection Hubs - design to delivery (ID 452)
Norfolk & Waveney Integrated Care Board
Funding: NONE
Abstract
Background. Autumn 2022 a spike in respiratory infections prompted an NHSE drive to open Acute Respiratory Infection (ARI) hubs. Norfolk and Waveney ICB was tasked with design and delivery of the project across a large county with geographical, social and health inequalities.Intervention
Norfolk & Waveney was funded approximately £775K for the ARI hubs for services until 31/03/2023. A SOP designed based on work done elsewhere in East of England and discussions were had with Providers in Primary & Community Care.
Provision set up in each of 5 places across N&W varied from Community based clinics, GP Acute Hospital Streaming, to extra Primary Care capacity with varying results.
The service was funded from December 2022 to March 2023: in that time over 10,700 additional ARI appointments were delivered. The ages of patients seen ranged from 0-99 years, varying according to place (North Norfolk saw the largest numbers of over 60s reflecting its demographics).
Lessons Learnt
The process was a unifying event for East of England and agreement made that ARI hubs should be part of standard respiratory care, ensuring that patients, in both acute and stable phases of disease,are seen by clincians with suitable expertise and equipment in a site suitable for the service and which addresses some of the health and social inequalities present. Many discussions followed concerning the division of urgent and planned care.The advantages of the service are many: continuity of care, workforce recruitmentand retention, encouraging joint working and integration.This has led to the agreement that we need to establish an integrated respiratory service on the back of the ARI hubs caring for patients in stable and acute phases of their disease, providing enhanced care (Point of Care testing, highly skilled workforce etc), focusing on placing the service in sites which address social and geographical inequalities.
Conflicts of interest: NONE
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