A SPECIALIST team of nurses offering 24-hour support in the treatment of seriously-ill patients has been given a permanent role at York District Hospital.

The Critical Care Outreach Team was set up at YDH last year with a government grant to support doctors and nurses in assessing and treating patients who are at risk of deteriorating.

The team, which currently has seven nurses, is on 24-hour call, responding within a minute and deciding whether a patient needs to be moved to the intensive care unit (ICU) or the high dependency ward.

The team will also support the family of the patient through any transfers, answering questions and providing reassurance.

Now York Health Services NHS Trust has decided to take the team on permanently on the strength of its success within the hospital.

Sister Dianne Harts, who heads the team, said it offered unparalleled support to healthcare staff in the prompt treatment of poorly patients.

She said: "We are providing a service to patients on the wards by advising on their treatment and care or if they are very sick we bring them quickly to ICU or high dependency ward.

"The emphasis is on prompt treatment.

"Before the outreach team, treatment possibly wasn't as prompt. We have the luxury of spending our shift with just one patient, visiting them on the ward five or six times and sharing our expertise in looking after critically ill patients.

"We enable prompt treatment and prompt transfer into intensive care wards. We also support and educate staff, both doctors and nurses.

"The general feeling is that we are there quickly for them to pass on our assessment skills and critical care skills."

Updated: 12:14 Monday, October 28, 2002