Innovation in residential care homes: an inreach nursing team project.

This article summarises the key findingsfrom a report of an evaluation study of a primary care trust (PCT) and local authority (LA) partnership initiative providing a dedicatedinreach team (IRT) of nurses and physiotherapists to three residential LA care homes for older people(Wild et al 2007). By meeting the health needsof residents in the homes, IRT members aimed toprevent hospital admissions and defer transfers tonursing homes. The IRT members also supported the homes’ care staff undertaking the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) to Level 3 (fundedby Skills for Care) with additional learning forbasic nursing skills. The IRT comprised 12 full- and part-time nurses and one part-time physiotherapist funded for a two-year period.