The NHS has announced a boosted rollout of healthcare teams in the community, with millions set to benefit from quicker care at home as part of the plan to recover urgent and emergency care services.

Since the teams were rolled out in April last year, almost a quarter of a million people have received urgent medical support from home.

The teams will now be scaled up further and will take more referrals from ambulance services 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

According to NHS England, around one fifth of emergency admissions can be avoided with the right care in place.

The community reponse teams will be sent to clinically less urgent calls and will treat people who have had falls, need urgent diabetes support or are suffering from confusion.

Professor Sir Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: “The NHS has been under significant pressure, particularly during winter months – dealing with the ‘twindemic’ of flu and Covid, huge numbers of people need an ambulance and our A&E services – so we have been working hard to put longer term plans in place to deal with the record demand we are experiencing right across the country.

“A key part of delivering these plans is keeping people out of hospital when they don’t need to be there and so over the coming months and years, these rapid response teams will provide convenient care at home for millions of people, without needing to be admitted to hospital.

“Helping to keep them out of hospital and enabling them to live independently for longer – we know patients prefer this, and that it helps with their recovery to be treated in the comfort of their home.

“Thanks to the accelerated rollout and the hard work of our NHS staff working together, these teams are now in every part of the country – so as ever, please come forward for the care you need if you have health concerns.”