Tweed Urgent Care Service: Bringing urgent care to older people in their home

In a fantastic offering from Northern NSW LHD, the Tweed Urgent Care Service (TUCS) is able to come to RACHs in Tweed to provide urgent medical support to residents, reducing unnecessary hospital visits and easing pressure on emergency departments and make it easier for RACH clinicians to care for residents.

At a recent information evening hosted by Healthy North Coast, aged care clinicians and GPs were introduced to some of the fabulous TUCS team – staffed by a team of nurses, NSW Ambulance Extended Care Paramedics and allied health professionals. We learned how TUCS provides timely and responsive care in homes and got to hear some of the stories of how they have provided great care, at home.

TUCS Nurse Practitioner Lyndall Egan said:

“If staff are unsure about a resident, they can call us and we can attend to review the resident and help with an ambulance transfer if needed, helping to make a smooth transition for the resident to hospital”.

Attendees told us the event had helped them to:

• “Use services wisely. Lessen referrals to hospital”
• “Use the urgent care clinic and community service more”
• “Utilise the urgent care service more as I’ve only just become aware of them tonight.”

If a resident’s health deteriorates, carers and RACH staff can call TUCS for immediate support, including on-site assessment and, if needed, coordinated ambulance transfers to ensure a smooth transition to hospital.

TUCS operates 7 days a week, from 8 am to 8 pm.