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A new specialist team is helping to reduc e avoidable visits to Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough .  

Known as the High Impact Use team (HIU), the service is a partnership between NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and Cambridgeshire County Council (who host the service) on behalf of the Integrated Care System (ICS) . This service helps those who often attend A&E for reasons that extend beyond medical interventions and for needs which would be better met by other professionals.   

Since its launch in October 2024, the HIU team found that many of the frequent visitors to A&E at Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke, and Addenbrooke’s Hospitals were experiencing issues such as loneliness, financial problems, and poor physical and mental health, rather than medical emergencies that require urgent hospital care .  

The HIU team works alongside partners to build a trusted relationship with each person identified as requiring non-clinical support through their frequent attendances at A&E , creating a n open , person-centred approach to help meet the individuals’ needs .   

Jon Bartram, Programme Director of Strategic Commissioning at NHS Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, said: “ Our HIU team provides additional support to help address the underlying causes of frequent attendances at A&E departments. Such frequent visits are often due to complex social factors and are often non-clinical in nature .   

“ The type of help given depends on the person’s needs but can include arranging and attending appointments with the patient, enrolling them in community groups or charity services, and assisting them to access other support such as counselling services , housing advice and employment guidance.  

“ By working with people in this way, we aim to reduce A&E attendances, 999 calls, and ambulance call-out rates while ensuring people get the appropriate care and support they need . ”  

  C ounci ll o r Tom Sanderson, Chair of the Communities, Social Mobility and Inclusion Committee , said : “ Since our team started supporting individuals last autumn, they have already ma d e an important difference to the health, wellbeing and quality of life of a number of people .   

“ By working with service users on a one-to-one basis, the team is able to understand their specific needs and direct them to services and support to help them improve their individual situations . The team will continue to work with people who need their help until they feel equipped to manage their challenges without the support of the service.  

“The team plays a vital role in our ambition to reduce health inequalities for our residents, and in support ing our vision of a more caring Cambridgeshire.”  

The service is provided to people aged 18 and over and who are registered with a GP within Cambridgeshire , Peterborough and Royston .