19 November 2024

The Intermediate Community Bed Escalation (ICE) Hub was recognised earlier this year as a finalist for the Community Care Initiative of the Year at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards.

Launched in 2021 in North West London (NWL) and later expanded to North Central London (NCL), ICE Hub serves as a single point of access for transitioning patients from acute hospital care to community-based rehabilitation.

By coordinating and accelerating community rehabilitation placements, the team makes sure patients receive timely and appropriate care. This inpatient rehabilitation focuses on helping patients regain independence in daily activities, ultimately reducing the need for long-term support.

This streamlined approach has significantly improved hospital discharge processes, cut down wait times, eliminated referral duplication across providers, and supporting safer, faster recoveries for patients.

Dan Windross (Assistant Director, Integration Development and Population Health Directorate NHS NCL ICB), Alex Smith (Director of Service Development NCL ICB) and Sarah Mansuralli (Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Strategy and Population Health Officer NCL ICB), said:

“ICE has been central in delivering a single patient offer across a range of providers and services. We can now operate as one workforce across NCL, responding to system pressures and helping our patients get the best recovery care they need.

"Length of stay has improved, occupancy has improved, time from referral to admission has reduced and the resulting productivity benefits have allowed more patients to receive timely and appropriate care.”

Key highlights:

  • Enhanced patient outcomes: Patients get the right rehabilitation intensity, supporting faster, more effective recoveries.
  • Reduced wait times: ICE has cut hospital stays for patients and prevented acute admission for rehabilitation.
  • Improved coordination: With a real-time view across boroughs, the team ensures seamless communication and patient flow.
  • System-wide collaboration: ICE has fostered trust and collaboration among providers in NWL and NCL.
  • Supports prevention and staying well and ensures specialist navigation at discharge.

Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Patients appreciate quicker, safer rehab access, and staff and providers report positive results too.

Bed Manager from Finchley Memorial and Edgware Community Hospital, said: 

“Your team has worked very hard to place patients into rehab units. Some of these patients were stroke patients, and we all know how important it is for a stroke patient to start rehab ASAP. Let’s keep doing this for our patients and achieving good patient experiences.”

Melissa Mellett, Associate Director for System Flow NWL ICB, said:

“This initiative has significantly improved care provision and access for patients requiring rehabilitation across NWL. ICE Hub has streamlined the process of accessing inpatient rehabilitation beds by seamlessly integrating referrals from four acute trusts into community provided facilities. What truly sets ICE Hub apart is its unwavering commitment to the involvement of all stakeholder’s, patients, acute trusts, community trusts and private providers. It has eliminated silos and created a transparent and standardised platform for monitoring and managing bed availability.”