Norfolk and Waveney Unscheduled Care Coordination Hub (UCCH) wins 'Best Contribution to the Improvement of Urgent and Emergency Care' at HSJ Partnership Awards 2025
Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust (NCH&C), along with East Coast Community Healthcare (ECCH), Integrated Care 24 (IC24), Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB), Norfolk County Council (NCC), and East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST), are delighted to announce that the Unscheduled Care Coordination Hub (UCCH) team won the prestigious 'Best Contribution to the Improvement of Urgent and Emergency Care' category at the HSJ Partnership Awards 2025.
The UCCH, based at Reed House on the Broadland Business Park in Norwich, has been instrumental in transforming urgent and emergency care services since its launch in September 2023. By integrating multidisciplinary teams and providing timely, appropriate responses, the UCCH has significantly improved patient outcomes.
Across Norfolk & Waveney, there is a close relationship between the UCCH, Community Virtual Ward, and our urgent community response teams that respond to patients referred by the UCCH. A large number of patients seen and assessed by the UCCH require a community response, and the ability to move patients from 999 and 111 call lists to the community workload increases the likelihood of patients receiving proactive measures that enable them to remain at home.
To further develop this relationship, the UCCH is creating a reciprocal offer that will enable clinicians visiting patients in the community to escalate directly to UCCH for support with assessment, releasing the clinician to visit other patients.
UCCH key achievements:
- Since it was launched, the UCCH has successfully diverted 62% of calls from ambulance responses, enabling patients to receive care at home and reducing hospital admissions.
- It has managed over 22,000 patients, preventing more than 10,000 unnecessary ambulance dispatches.
- The UCCH focuses on collaboration across health and social care, enhancing patient care and reducing hospital admissions.
- When the UCCH determines that hospital admission is the right outcome for a patient, it can ensure the patient is admitted to the most suitable hospital department, relieving pressure on Emergency Departments (ED).
Filipe Figueiredo, Integrated Service Lead for the UCCH, expressed his pride in the team's achievements: Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team. We're committed to providing the right care, at the right place, first time, and this recognition highlights the positive impact we have made on urgent and emergency care services.
Tracey Bensley, Head of Urgent Community Response (UCR), reflected on what the UCCH has accomplished since it was established: We are incredibly proud of the UCCH team's dedication and innovation. This award is a testament to our commitment to improving urgent and emergency care services. By working collaboratively across health and social care, we have made significant strides in enhancing patient outcomes and system efficiency. This recognition motivates us to continue our efforts in providing timely, appropriate care for our community.
Kirsty Rowden, Director for Intermediate Care and Urgent Community Response (UCR), praised the UCCH's innovative approach: The UCCH provides timely access to patients' unscheduled care needs within a community setting. By reducing the number of patients that are conveyed to acute hospital settings, we have significantly decreased ambulance waiting times and improved patient experience.
The UCCH's success is built on its ability to review 999 calls and coordinate alternatives to ambulance dispatches, ensuring patients receive the most suitable care for their needs. This approach not only improves patient outcomes but also frees up emergency resources for those in critical need.
As the UCCH continues to evolve, it aims to become the Norfolk and Waveney 'Single Point of Access,' working closely with Community Virtual Ward and our urgent community response teams, as well as GP services, acute hospital trusts and others to simplify the complexity of the health and care system.
The award was presented at a ceremony in central London on Thursday 20 March. The full list of Winners and those Highly Commended for the 2025 HSJ Partnership Awards can be found here.