Urgent Community Response (UCR) Teams are multi-disciplinary clinicians who respond to a crisis in somebody’s home (including residential and nursing homes), saving them an unnecessary admission to hospital.
They are a crucial service in Milton Keynes, both in helping people maintain their independence and manage complex and long-term conditions, and in easing the pressure on acute and emergency services. Patients can be referred to UCR Teams by a number of referrers including 999, 111, Emergency Departments, care homes, GPs and primary care providers.
UCR teams can draw on a wide range of Advanced Assessment and prescribing skills, and are made up of teams including, advanced clinical practitioners, specialist nurses, nursing associates, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, paramedics and therapy assistants.
They will respond within two hours of referral.
From left to right, our fantastic team is made up of:
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Remmaya Dominic, UCR Nurse Practitioner
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Lee Smith, UCR Advanced Nurse Practitioner
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Emmanuel Okyere, UCR Registered Nurse
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Lisa Phillips, UCR Nurse Practitioner
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Nicky Priestley, UCR Advanced Clinical Practitioner
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Rebecca Kinnersley, Home 1st Senior Medicines Optimisation Technician
Milton Keynes UCR Teams are for people who are:
- Aged 18 years and over
- Registered with a GP in Milton Keynes
- Living in their own home or a residential/care home setting
- Is living with dementia – best practice is to share responsibility for care with older people’s mental health teams
- Is in a crisis (as defined below) and needs intervention within two hours to stay safely at home/usual place of residence, and avoid admission to hospital
The crisis may be due to a clinical condition such as:
- A new or acute problem (such as a fall, patient experiencing confusion/delirium or reduced mobility; or they need urgent catheter care or equipment provision).
- Acute infection such as chest, urine, cellulitis
- An exacerbation of a chronic condition, where the condition can be safely treated out of hospital, but where the functional consequences of that illness may mean that the individual is at risk of hospital admission.
- Serious illness where treatment at home is in keeping with the person’s wishes as part of a pre-agreed treatment escalation plan, such as a breakdown in palliative care arrangements. This will be with the full understanding that the same level of diagnostics and support may not be provided in the community.
- Local authorities will have a responsibility to respond to people experiencing a social care crisis.
Milton Keynes UCR Teams are not for people who are:
- Acutely unwell or injured, requiring emergency care intervention and an admission into an acute hospital bed
- Experiencing a mental health crisis and require referral/ assessment by a specialist mental health team
- In need of acute/complex diagnostics and clinical intervention for patient safety in hospital
Your doctor, community nurse or carer can refer you directly to UCR Teams.
Referring services should use UCR services where appropriate to ease pressure on other areas of the system such as A&E.
Referring services include:
- NHS111
- 999
- Emergency Departments
- General practice
- Social care providers (such as care homes) including personal assistants
- Clinical hubs in ambulance control rooms and patient facing ambulance clinicians
- Community based health care teams including practice nurses, community nurses and ACPs
- Specialist services
- Care workers
- Local authorities
- Pendant alarm companies
- Self-referrals from individuals and their carers (patients that are already known to service or have been discharged within 72 hours can self-refer)
Milton Keynes UCR Teams are available 24/7 (limited access to therapy support after 7pm).
If you need help in a crisis, please do the following
- Contact the CNWL service looking after you during their office hours
- If the crisis is during when your service is closed, there are alternative options provided by the NHS found on this page.
- If you are not already being looked after by CNWL or elsewhere within the NHS, see your GP during normal working hours as they can then refer you to a local service.
Find your closest GP on NHS Choices.