Early implementation of the Enhanced Health in Care Homes model due to COVID-19
Why you should read this article:
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To familiarise yourself with the principles of the Enhanced Health in Care Homes model
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To understand how to ensure people living in care homes have access to specialist services
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To recognise the impact that coordinating health and social care services can have on patient care
One of the priorities set out by the NHS Long Term Plan in 2019 was a commitment to improving services and outcomes for those living in care homes and thereby reducing avoidable emergency hospital admissions. This was to be achieved by rolling out the Enhanced Health in Care Homes model nationally by 2024. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected care homes in 2020, and consequently NHS England brought forward the national rollout of the model and instructed primary care networks to begin implementation by the end of July 2020. This article reflects on one nurse’s experience of implementing the model in a care home in her area and the challenges that were overcome. The authors also suggest improvements to the implementation process.
