EOC(3) – OPI – 011
Equality of Opportunity Committee
Inquiry into Home Maintenance and Adaptation Services for Older People
Response from Cardiff and Vale NHS Trust
Introduction
The Occupational Therapy Technician service is a long established part of the Trust, supporting hospital discharge and the promotion of independence for service users. The technicians’ role is to install adaptations and fit discharge equipment.
The service is managed by the Head Occupational Therapist, Strategic Lead for Community and Rehabilitation, who is also a member of the JES Operational Group and a member of Care and Repair Strategic Business Planning Committees in Cardiff and the Vale.
Staffing
4.00 wte Occupational Therapy Technicians
1.00 wte Occupational Therapy Technician (Acute Response Team)
1.65 wte Occupational Therapy Technicians Band 3
Organisation of Work
The technicians work by geographical division, covering all areas of Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan.
There is also a requirement to provide a service to some out of area patients in relation to elective surgery and to address our responsibility for safe discharge. Social Services and Care and Repair are not able to provide a service to these people.
The ART technician responds to referrals made by the Acute Response Team based Occupational Therapists for GP referrals and hospital discharge.
Activity
The technicians respond to approx 2800 referrals per annum.
Response Times
The technicians are able to install equipment adaptations prior to admission for elective patients, in preparation for discharge or are able to meet the patient as the transport brings them home. For rapid / emergency discharges and prevention of admission they are able to be at the patient’s home within approx half an hour of receiving a referral, depending on location.
Their ability to respond immediately is integral to patient flow.
Relationship to Care and Repair and Social Services
The main adaptations services, Cardiff and Vale Trust, Social Services and Care and Repair, work together to maintain technical standards and agree common materials. The three services provide for different time scales and different needs.
The Trust provides a service to owner occupiers, council tenants, housing association and private rental tenants. The Trust Occupational Therapists send referrals to Care and Repair and Social Services for community based patients and those with longer term needs in private housing.
The Trust Technician service can see the patient and install equipment / adaptations on the same day if required. Care and Repair have a 15 day response target for referrals and this is not always quick enough to facilitate hospital discharge.
The Trust Technician service and Care and Repair only overlap in the provision of stair rails and grab rails, but not the related time scales. Care and Repair do not provide discharge equipment and the Trust Technicians service does not address wider housing issues such as electrical problems.
A vital activity of the Occupational Therapy technicians is the feedback they give to the referring therapist. As the technicians are based within a clinical service they have an awareness of patient function. From this they are able to alert the therapists to any functional difficulties noted during a visit, concerns of relatives and additional environmental problems.
Conclusion
The Occupational Therapy service provides a responsive and flexible technician service to aid hospital discharge, prevent admission and support elective surgery. The staff and managers of the OT service, Social Services and Care and Repair work closely together.
The technicians are not just fitters or delivery staff. As part of a wider clinical service they are able to support the Occupational Therapists by responding to current clinical / organisational priorities and by providing relevant patient / carer feedback.
