Integrated Community Teams (Physios)
Description of service
The Integrated Care Team (ICT) provides care to our patients in their own homes and to try and prevent hospital admission as much as possible.
The ICT consists of Registered Nurses, Community Matrons, Healthcare Assistants, Assistant Practitioners, Occupational Therapists, Physiotherapists, Technical Instructors and Mental Health nurses.
Physiotherapists based in the community have a broad role. Our patients can be from age 18 upwards and our assessments and treatments occur in the patients’ own place of residence. The role includes being part of the “Prevention of admission team” for urgent same day visits, as well as post-operative rehabilitation such as following upper or lower limb fractures, and more routine referrals for pain or reduced mobility.
Referrals into the service can be received via multiple sources, including from the discharge home to assess team, GPs, consultants, district nurses, paramedics, social workers and other physiotherapy teams and community OTs.
Furthermore, in the community physiotherapists see a range of patient groups, including musculoskeletal, neurological, cardiac, vascular, the elderly and patients who experience falls. Our assessment and treatment skills are therefore drawn from a large range of clinical experience, and include, for example, knowing how to use a manual blood pressure cuff, operate a Rota stand, as well as how to progress strengthening and balance exercises. There is also a strong focus on educating patients to be able to self- manage long term conditions, as well as educating carers and family members on manual handling techniques.
The variety in our caseloads means that no week is ever the same. Community therapists may also be the first Allied Health Professional to see a particular patient in a long time, and therefore may have the responsibility to make referrals back to the GP or to social services or to voluntary organisations when appropriate.
The diversity of patients seen, whilst simultaneously working in a close-knit team with OTs, TIs and nurses and having a large degree of independence makes working in the community a highly rewarding experience that allows for a good work life balance.
Specialties covered
We work with adults with a range of diagnoses including but not limited to:
- Frailty
- Falls
- Neurological conditions
- Heart conditions
- Musculoskeletal
Areas covered
The ICTs cover the area of East and North Hertfordshire and are divided up into the following locality teams:
- North Herts
- Stevenage
- Welwyn & Hatfield
- Upper Lea Valley
- Lower Lea Valley
- Stort Valley and Villages
