Emergency support

At District Healthcare, we fully recognise our role within the broader health and social care system. While we are not paramedics or clinicians, we firmly believe that being well-prepared can make a significant difference when emergencies arise.

That’s why we have equipped our Care Managers with specially designed Emergency Response Kits. These kits are not for routine care delivery — they are a practical, safety-first resource to support emergency services and provide temporary, stabilising care until professional medical help arrives. Importantly, only Care Managers carry these kits, ensuring that our frontline care staff are not placed under undue pressure or asked to operate outside their role.

Each emergency kit contains essential items, including:

• Oximeter
   
• Blood pressure monitor
   
• Thermometer
   
• Sterile dressings
   
• Urinalysis test strips
   
• Burns kit
   
• First aid supplies
   
• Handling belt and slide sheet
   
• Emergency continence aids
   

Our approach is simple: support, not substitute. We use these tools to observe, record, and relay key health indicators — such as oxygen levels or temperature — to the appropriate professionals. This can help paramedics, District Nurses, or GPs make timely and informed decisions.

Some real-world examples include:

• Applying sterile dressings to skin tears while waiting for a District Nurse, helping reduce the risk of infection.
   
• Conducting urinalysis tests when infection is suspected and promptly sharing the findings with the GP.
   
• Providing continence products if a client has none at home, particularly following unexpected hospital discharge.
   
• Using slide sheets or handling belts, with OT authorisation, if a client’s mobility suddenly deteriorates, maintaining dignity and safety until a formal reassessment is made.
   

To ensure a swift response, each Care Manager with an emergency kit is never more than 10 minutes away from any property we support. This proximity allows us to respond quickly and effectively, without placing clinical responsibility on our care staff.

At District Healthcare, we believe in empowering our team, protecting our clients, and complementing the NHS — not replacing it. Our emergency response provision is just one of the many ways we ensure safe, dignified, and responsive care at home.