Guidance for after making referrals

Please familiarise yourself with our ways of working as this will maintain a streamlined approach for your patient and ensure care is consistent.

Shared care approach

We may advise that we provide an intensive period of care that is then shared with local services as progress is made. This plan will be agreed with the patient and local services.

Provision of pain relief

Pain management and provision remains in the remit of the local GP. We will advise and liaise as required.

Antibiotic provision

If infection is suspected the following will happen:

• We will agree to take a swab if agreed to be of value (NICE Guidance)
• The swab is taken by Accelerate then given to the patient to take to GP for local processing. This ensures the results are reported within the GP records
• You may be asked to take a swab and give it to the patient if a particular type of swab is required for your local laboratory
• Broad spectrum antibiotics will be requested such as Flucloxacillin or you will follow your local guidance

Management of immunosuppressants

For patients with vasculitis, pyoderma gangrenosum or other inflammatory conditions, we will work within the parameters of an established shared care programme with either:

• The local commissioned dermatology team
• The referring hospital or consultant for immunosuppressors and monitoring.

The role of the Accelerate team is to bring support to the referring team and provide additional advice on advanced therapeutic compression and bespoke techniques or modalities.

Topical Steroid Therapy

This will be requested from the local GP and the patient is expected to bring this to their appointments.