Heartbeat: SPA leading the way in easing pressures

April 14, 2023

The Trust’s Single Point of Access (SPA) service aims to help professionals arrange the correct care for both urgent and non-urgent referrals – freeing up our emergency departments and in turn helping to relieve the pressure.

SPA deals with an impressive 25,000 calls a year and is led by Janice Barrett who is based in Trinity House.

She explained: “The service has grown since it began in 2018. We’ve gone from a small team of four to nine. We deal with around 25,000 calls a year, directing patients to the correct service they need, and this figure is increasing weekly.

“The service means we are reducing the number of patients who come to our emergency departments (EDs) needing treatment that could have been delivered elsewhere. It’s not only beneficial for our patients but also helps to free up our EDs, helping to relieve some of the pressures we are seeing in our hospitals.”

It provides access support and advice across seven days, between 8am and 8pm, and helps to prevent avoidable admissions and support patients in the community with longstanding conditions.

It starts with a phone call with GP colleagues providing as much information as possible helping the team to navigate the patient to the best service for them. Once the call has taken place, the patient will then sit under the care of the SPA team, which means GPs can continue with their working day.

Some facts about the service include:

• It’s for all ages, so you can refer children and adults
• This team covers the Sandwell and West Birmingham area.
• The telephones are manned by a team of nurses so you will get straight through to a healthcare professional
• It can facilitate specialist advice where necessary
• It can navigate the patient to the most appropriate service for them

You can contact the SPA team on 0121 507 3301.