Partnership working
Our Partnerships
We understand the importance of EEAST working collaboratively across our region to deliver quality patient care. Consequently, over the past year we have worked very closely with local acute, primary and secondary care services, community health, mental health and social care partners and with the voluntary sector.
We have been involved with numerous projects, trials, and initiatives across the region:
Advanced paramedics within care homes
In west Hertfordshire an advanced paramedic responds to calls within care homes. This scheme ensured EEAST met the health and social care needs for the people of west Hertfordshire and sustained approved quality standards and the increasing acuity of patients’ needs. This scheme safely keeps elderly complex patients within care homes instead of conveying to hospital.
Essex blue light collaboration
We successfully piloted an innovative new tri-service rural community officer in the Dengie Peninsula within mid Essex and have now extended the scheme to a second area, Uttlesford, in west Essex. The officers represent all three emergency services and are a visible and engaging presence in those communities, focusing on a prevention agenda that benefits all three services.
Mental health street triage (MHST)
A collaborative service between mental health professionals, paramedics and police officers. The mental health street triage team work together to ensure that the most appropriate outcome is achieved for people experiencing mental health crisis. Achieved by assessing the individual and offering professional advice on the spot, accessing relevant health information, and liaising with other services to identify the most appropriate pathway to best support the individual. This is currently in operation in Hertfordshire, EEAST is currently working with other areas to see how best to expand, whether that is continuing MHST or looking at providing mental health joint response vehicles.
Mental health joint response vehicles
Initially piloted in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, this has become business as usual, with vehicles operating in Norfolk, mid and south Essex, Suffolk and north east Essex as well. These schemes are being delivered in partnership with the respective local mental health NHS Trusts.
The vehicles, fully equipped blue light rapid response vehicles, are staffed with a mental health practitioner and a paramedic/ senior emergency medical technician. The scheme responds to 999 emergency calls from patients, health care professionals and the police where they are already in attendance at an incident, seven days a week.
Early intervention vehicles
EEAST worked with our system partners in various locations around the region to deliver collaborative, innovative care and assessment in patients homes. Our early intervention schemes incorporate a variety of professionals, such as occupational therapists and physiotherapists, working alongside clinicians from EEAST. These teams can provide professional clinical/occupational assessment, advice, care planning and referral to other services.
Rapid intervention service
This scheme involves an advanced paramedic working with GP localities in three primary care network areas in west Essex to provide home visits with the community community provider as a joint assignment. This has enabled more patients to be treated at home and reduced the number of patients taken to hospital. 999 data shows that west Essex receives less healthcare practitioner (HCP) calls as this service is able to safely manage them in the community. Therefore, helping the system care for patients within the community.
Co-location of advanced paramedics in urgent care
Advanced paramedics are co-located with colleagues in other urgent care response teams in Clacton-on-Sea.This brings onsite clinical input for patients from access to stack and also assist community teams with the care of patients closer to home. Enhancing the offering to the patient so that they can safely be treated at home without the need to travel to hospital.
Stansted airport
EEAST provided a two-person crew along with a dual staffed ambulance (DSA) at Stansted Airport, 18 hours a day, seven days a week. The service was paused during the pandemic due to flight traffic being less frequent.
EEAST’s contract runs over a five year period and presented an opportunity to work with a private provider outside of health and social care to provide excellent patient focused care, and exciting recruitment opportunities.
Military co-response
An additional 10 military co-responders recently completed training and are assisting EEAST across the region. Military co-responder teams arrived first on scene ahead of EEAST at 251 calls since January 2023.
Palliative and end of life care partnership working
EEAST partnered with St Helena’s Hospice to rotate four paramedics within the hospice and community team in north Essex. This increased diversity within the multi-disciplinary team to optimise opportunity for individualised person-centred care from a broad-based, innovative and stable workforce. It increased skills, knowledge and confidence within both EEAST and St Helena whilst sharing learning from both elements of the rotation.
With specialist palliative care in the community, it supported decision making around admissions and provided more choice for the patient. This improved the experience for patients in north Essex who are coming to the end of their life. The project also offered EEAST paramedics a development pathway, which helped with the retention of this valuable workforce.
Partnership working with the fire service
EEAST continued to build on its previous successful collaboration projects with the regional fire and rescue services.