NHS South Sefton Clinical Commissioning Group’s (CCG’s) work to better integrate or join up care has been gaining national attention after being named a finalist at the Healthcare Transformation Awards.

The CCG’s community services transformation scheme is part of its wider Shaping Sefton programme that is looking at how services across health and social care can work better together for the benefit of patients.

Named a runner up at the awards ceremony, the community services transformation programme was nominated in the ‘successful service integration’ category for tailoring services around patients to of reduce the risk of them being admitted to hospital by promoting happy independence, particularly those with long term conditions and frail, older and more vulnerable people.

Tina Ewart, locality manager at NHS South Sefton CCG, who attended the awards, said: “We were delighted to have been nominated for this award, it means so much after all the hard work we have put in at the CCG to offer patients joined up care provided closer to home and tailored to their individual needs. A huge well done to the category winners, Stockport CCG.

“As part of our Shaping Sefton programme, we adopted a system wide approach, bringing together partners from right across health and social care to improve outcomes for our patients and hopefully reduce unnecessary hospital admissions. We are so pleased that it is working and gaining recognition for the programme is just a massive boost for everyone involved.”

The community transformation program is made up of several initiatives. One is a 12 week pro-active care programme, called Virtual Ward. This brings together specialist teams from health, social care and the voluntary, community and faith sector to coordinate an individualised care plan to support each patient’s differing needs. This might be seeing a counsellor, an occupational therapist, the medicine management team, or being supported to join specific community social groups that could benefit their wider wellbeing.

Sharon is just one patient who has benefited from the 12 week programme. See her story.

Another scheme in the community services transformation programme is CHIP, the CCG’s care home innovation programme. This provides a comprehensive package support, including telemedicine and staff training for care homes, so they are better able to manage the health and wellbeing of their residents.

Virtual Ward and CHIP are just two initiatives that make up the community services transformation programme, which is beginning to see good results in providing comprehensive and better coordinated treatment for patients who are at greatest risk of being admitted to hospital for emergency treatment.

Feedback from the programme has so far been positive for patients, their families, their carers and care home staff, in supporting them to stay well in their own homes for as long as possible.

The Healthcare Transformation Awards were hosted by NHS Clinical Commissioners and Health + Care on 29 June at the Crowne Plaza in London Docklands.