Extra social work staff will be brought into the Emergency Department at King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton, to try out new ways of integrated working to prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.

The Mid Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) proposed to have additional social care workers available seven days a week to give advice or carry out assessment and support planning. As a result, 1.5 social worker posts have been approved by the County Council for 12 months, which will be funded by money given to the ICP by the NHS to focus on transforming local services.

Councillor Tony Harper, chair of the County Council’s Adult Social Care and Public Health Committee, said: “Some patients attending the Emergency Department have a range of complex needs and the clinicians need to take advice from our hospital social care teams to make a decision about whether they should be admitted to hospital or whether it is safe for them to return home.

“Our staff can carry out an assessment of someone’s needs and find out whether they have support at home to be discharged safely or whether other support needs to be put in place. This extra capacity in the Emergency Department may prevent someone being admitted to hospital unnecessarily, which is better for the person and also frees up hospital space for someone else who may need it.”

Richard Mitchell, executive lead at the ICP and chief executive of Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “We know social care issues are a factor in the physical and mental health of the people who come to Emergency Departments. I am grateful Nottinghamshire County Council, one of our ICP partners, has agreed to support this work and we will have extra social workers in the Emergency Department.”

Simon Barton, chief operating officer at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, said: “This will undoubtedly be better for our patients attending the Emergency Department who will be able to have their social care needs assessed and met whilst in ED meaning that more, particularly vulnerable, patients will be able to safely get the care that they need without the need for admission where clinicians feel they don’t need an admission.”

The additional 1.5 social worker posts will be in addition to the existing social care team based at King’s Mill Hospital.