Share your views about the High Intensity Users Service
The services provide preventative support to individuals who are identified as frequent users of 999, NHS 111, A&E, and emergency hospital admissions so that their health and wellbeing needs are met, whilst making the best use of all the available health and care resources.
They use a health coaching approach, working in a de-medicalised and person-centred way, to offer people alternative, more appropriate support, through coaching, advice, guidance and signposting.
There are currently two slightly different HIU services in the county, one in Shropshire and one in Telford and Wrekin. It was decided that a review of both services was needed to help ensure consistency in service provision and pathways, to reduce any health inequalities and differences in experience and outcomes for those receiving support.
As part of the review, the CCG looked at the stories of people who had been supported by the services, as well as gathering the views of staff and stakeholders to find out what they thought about both services, what worked well, what could be improved, and how.
The learning from the review is being used to develop the new Positive Lives Service model which will be launched next year.
What people said is important about the service…
- Organisations, services and staff working closely together.
- The freedom of the staff to be creative and flexible, leaving them able to get to know individuals, develop trust, and provide support and guidance wrapped around the needs of the individual.
- A focus on the person, with the service driven by the needs of the individual, not finance, costs, outcomes or strict processes and paperwork.
- The service leads having the right skillset to support people who often have very complex and intense needs.
- Awareness of and engagement with the service from across the health and social care system.
- Ø Making a positive difference to individuals, who may otherwise fall through gaps in between services.
What people said are the key challenges for the service…
- Information sharing between organisations involved in providing care or support for the individual.
- The name of the service was felt can often lead the individual feeling as if they are at fault or to blame when in reality a lot of the multiple A&E attendances are not through choice, but through other services not meeting the person’s needs in the right way.
- Data collection and reporting.
- The time to engage with service users. Sometimes individuals can require support for several months, and return and reappear again months afterwards.
