Rapid Elderly Assessment Care Team (REACT)

The service was set up to help reduce unnecessary hospital admissions and unplanned care, whilst striving to improve the quality of care and patient experience

They deliver prompt comprehensive assessment for frail elderly people and deliver interventions through a rapid assessment clinic based at St John's Hospital or they may be able to offer assessment at home through the Hospital at Home and Rehab at Home service

The REACT staff team consists of a multi-disciplinary team of geriatricians, nurse practitioners, specialty doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, pharmacists, administrative staff and a social care co-ordinator. They liaise with and complement existing core hospital and community health and care services to provide effective multi-disciplinary assessment and interventions using shared decision-making process towards patient-centred goals

The Team is Community led and the governance of the service lies within the Health and Social Care Partnership.

REACT Referral criteria

• Resident in West Lothian
• People over the age of 75 with a chronic or sudden onset of illness
• Patient and family agree to referral
• Safe for assessment at clinic or at home

Conditions that will exclude patients being treated by REACT

• Acute chest pain
• Acute stroke
• Surgical problems
• Coma
• Shock
• Suspected fracture

Referrals

Patients can only be referred into REACT by Hospital staff and GP's.