Abstract
Mainly in response to the policy drive to avoid unnecessary acute hospital admissions and delayed discharge on social grounds, there has been a gradual development of social work services attached to emergency departments (EDs) in the UK. In the absence of a clearly articulated evidence base or debate about the roles of ED attached social workers, a model of ED based social work practice and indicative supporting evidence is presented. It is argued that social workers may be able to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of hospital services while providing a key point of access to social care services. A number of obstacles remain to the implementation of this model of service, including the narrow focus of current social care practice, the hours that a social work service is normally provided, chronic under-funding, and continuing perverse incentives in the health and social care system. More systematic evidence in the UK context is needed to support the case for change.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 134-137 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Emergency Medicine Journal |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2003 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Emergency Medicine
- Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine
Cite this
Social care's impact on emergency medicine : A model to test. / Bywaters, P.; Mclead, E.
In: Emergency Medicine Journal, Vol. 20, No. 2, 01.03.2003, p. 134-137.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Social care's impact on emergency medicine
T2 - A model to test
AU - Bywaters, P.
AU - Mclead, E.
PY - 2003/3/1
Y1 - 2003/3/1
N2 - Mainly in response to the policy drive to avoid unnecessary acute hospital admissions and delayed discharge on social grounds, there has been a gradual development of social work services attached to emergency departments (EDs) in the UK. In the absence of a clearly articulated evidence base or debate about the roles of ED attached social workers, a model of ED based social work practice and indicative supporting evidence is presented. It is argued that social workers may be able to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of hospital services while providing a key point of access to social care services. A number of obstacles remain to the implementation of this model of service, including the narrow focus of current social care practice, the hours that a social work service is normally provided, chronic under-funding, and continuing perverse incentives in the health and social care system. More systematic evidence in the UK context is needed to support the case for change.
AB - Mainly in response to the policy drive to avoid unnecessary acute hospital admissions and delayed discharge on social grounds, there has been a gradual development of social work services attached to emergency departments (EDs) in the UK. In the absence of a clearly articulated evidence base or debate about the roles of ED attached social workers, a model of ED based social work practice and indicative supporting evidence is presented. It is argued that social workers may be able to contribute to the efficiency and effectiveness of hospital services while providing a key point of access to social care services. A number of obstacles remain to the implementation of this model of service, including the narrow focus of current social care practice, the hours that a social work service is normally provided, chronic under-funding, and continuing perverse incentives in the health and social care system. More systematic evidence in the UK context is needed to support the case for change.
U2 - 10.1136/emj.20.2.134
DO - 10.1136/emj.20.2.134
M3 - Review article
VL - 20
SP - 134
EP - 137
JO - Emergency Medicine Journal
JF - Emergency Medicine Journal
SN - 1472-0205
IS - 2
ER -