Patient Liaison

EMRTS Cymru has set up a new provision for patients that have been treated by its critical care teams. Many of the people that the Service has helped will have received critical care treatment at the scene but will have little memory or understanding about what happened to them.

In addition, relatives often have many questions regarding pre-hospital care. Through the aftercare service, and EMRTS patient liaison nurses, some of these gaps can be filled.

A dedicated patient support site can be found here

Patient Liaison Service Overview

Recovery from critical illness or injury can be long and challenging as people move between different departments, hospitals and rehabilitation centres before finally returning home. Through the patient liaison service, EMRTS will be able to support patients and relatives on that journey, providing consistency and support throughout, including after discharge home. This support may include follow-up visits at varying intervals during recovery and will differ from patient to patient depending on their need. It could be shortly after admission or after they have been discharged home, depending on how long their recovery is. The main purpose of these visits, and supporting correspondence, is to provide explanations about what has happened at the scene whilst giving emotional support to both patient and relatives.

A close working relationship has developed with some of the major hospitals which allows a multidisciplinary team approach to patient care, improving communication for all involved. Links have been made with other third-sector organisations so, for patients that have had life-changing illnesses or injuries, there will be a variety of support that is made easily accessible, and EMRTS will be able to act as a point of contact.

Support for Medical Colleagues

This support also extends to all those who work for EMRTS and who are involved directly in incidents or patient visits, which is being formalised by the introduction of a peer support programme.

Bereavement Aftercare Service

Sadly, some patients do not survive and it is important that their loved ones are supported during this difficult time, so a Bereavement Aftercare Service is offered to all relatives. This gives them the opportunity to ask questions, find out what treatment was given and also provides a safe space to talk about their grief.

Contact

For more information about the Patient Liaison Service, email emrts.patient@wales.nhs.uk or call 0300 3000 067. Go to this page to complete a patient feedback survey. The QR code below also takes you to the patient survey.