About us


06 June 2018

Joint working


The service is aimed at people who might be having a flare up of a long term condition or have an infection that isn't getting better, which would usually result in a stay in hospital. This can now be safely avoided with the additional support that the SWIFT team can provide in people's homes.   


Dr Amanda Pinkerton, local GP who has been involved in the design of the new service said:  "This isn't about not admitting people that need to be in hospital but about supporting GPs to keep people at home where appropriate and freeing up hospital services for those that really need them."


"The new SWIFT team operates seven days a week - 8am - 10pm. We have nurses and care assistants who can provide support and care at short notice at times of crisis.  We are able to monitor patients in the community while providing the necessary medication, interventions and care to help them feel better.  An experienced nurse will assess patient needs, develop a plan of care in conjunction with existing services and put these into place with the patient's consent."

Tricia D'Orsi, Chief Nurse, NHS Castle Point and Rochford and NHS Southend CCG said:




Jan, a local resident and member of Breathe Easy, Southend said: "When you're at home you can rest more and recover quicker, there's so much going on in a hospital.  It's silly to be admitted to a hospital bed if your care can be managed safely at home."


Lisa Ward, Lead Respiratory Nurse at Southend University Hospital said "For a patient with a longstanding respiratory condition the SWIFT team can mean the difference between being hospitalised for an exacerbation of COPD or being treated early and safely at home.  I'm pleased to see the service launched after being involved in the planning and looking forward to seeing the benefits for our patients.

"The SWIFT team can see patients rapidly, assess them and formulate a management plan, which can be enough to maintain that patient comfortably at home with the support that they need.  It's reassuring for patients to get that early assessment, knowing that the team will keep a close eye on them and escalate their care to the hospital if that is what's needed."